PNA:Project Prometheus
by SLVPNC
Summary: You could chalk it up to coincidence that your Team Name is pronounced "Aura". You raise an eyebrow when your teammates semblances seem similar, but dismiss any ridiculous notions. Questions arise when you realize that they could be chained, but are you and your friends ready to go that far? [Abrupt Abandoned/Ending]
1. Chapter 1

PNA:Project Prometheus

Authors Note: First of all, Hello! As you may be able to tell, this is my first go at writing. I appreciate any feedback if you have some to contribute, so long as it helpful feedback and not just straight-up hate.. The story and Original Characters are being tweaked constantly, as to not seem like a generic bland story and Overpowered Characters, thats far from what OC's are supposed to be and what this is to be. They aren't meant to be 'The Perfect Ones' otherwise it would just be a waste to write as everything could be summed up like this. "They are perfect and they saved the world the end."

This begins after episode 10 of Volume 1. I must apologize for any Out of Character traits from the four main characters you may encounter in the future, but please dont hesitate to point it out so that I can try and rectify.

One thing that I should note is that later on the chapters will began to shift the focus onto the OC's, but that doesn't mean the focus will solely be them. But if the OC's turns you off then I understand, it's not your cup of tea.

Now for some Vocabulary words that will be mentioned in the story. These will be prominent parts of the story in the future.

Grifball: Remnants version of Football (Soccer).

HA: Hunter Association. The official governing body of Competitive Combat and the issuer of Hunter's Licenses.

FIGA: Fédération Internationale de Grifball Association. The governing body of Grifball. Gridiron is not governed by them.

FIGHA: Fédération Internationale de Grifball et Hunters Association. Conglomerate of FIGA and the HA. Governs the Prestigious Hunter and Grifball Champions League, Copa Defendores and the Vytal Tournament from the 39th Edition Forward..

If you haven't noticed already from the above, this will also have a focus on Competitive Combat.

One last thing is that Despite the Tags, White Rose is here.

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Chapter 1

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RWBY's Dorm Room.

"I swear that bed is going to kill me while I'm asleep." Weiss said while looking at the bed, since the window was open, a breeze came through and she noticed that bed started to rock a bit.

"Come on Weiss, it isn't that bad." Ruby was actually surprised the rope was holding well

"Ruby, The bed is tied up with rope….WITH ROPE! And it's rocking back and forth! Look!" Weiss actually was feeling a bit less tired after seeing that.

"I mean it could be worse….I could have tried tape"

"….Have you tried to do that?" Weiss raised an eyebrow, she wouldn't be surprised if she did try

"Nooooo…..maybe?" Ruby mumbled out while looking at the ground.

"Come on Weiss, don't be so hard on it, she did a really good job on that" Yang threw in, she was on top of her bed with her laptop browsing things on the internet.

"I'm pretty sure I have Blake to back me up on this since she is also in a similar position, right Blake?" Weiss was trying to get someone to side with her on the situation but it seemed like a moot point.

"I mean it saves space that could be used for other things. The idea is great but the execution could use some work, but if it works then why not just go with it?" Blake tried to side with Ruby and Yang, which got a small fist pump from Ruby.

"We have all this extra space, why not use that instead of making these?" Weiss still tried to argue her point, despite knowing it was a lost cause.

"Because I want to put a small table and maybe a TV and a Video Game Console and…" Yang listed what she wanted to do with the spare space, but was stop by the somewhat pissed of Weiss.

"Wait, your telling me we did all this" she points to the beds and the mended curtain "so that you could space for a TV?"

"Not just a TV Weiss…a Wall Mounted Flat screen TV. One of those fancy smartTVs, like from that one company. Was its Sansill? Or Hansung? Squashbug?" Yang was in a thinking pose while trying to figure out the name.

"…You mean Samsung?" replied Weiss in a flat tone. Clearly she was not amused and had decided to go to the bathroom to change into her sleep attire.

"Yeah that one!"

"Sis, why not get the one made by Vizio? Its dirt cheap and we can even use our scrolls as remotes since they have an IR Blaster!" Ruby remembered the one from the big electronics store some months back.

"Don't you need to have a specific type of scroll for that though?" Yang didn't even know these had IR Blasters.

"Our scrolls are made by HTC, which is owned by the PNA Corporation. All their phones have IR Blasters and work with stuff like that TV or something." Ruby replied while she checked her scroll.

"Ugh, don't even mention that company" Weiss had just come out of the bathroom.

"Why? What's wrong with them?" Ruby was curious. The PNA Corp had a good reputation of selling products to consumers which for the most part, weren't inexpensive. Except for their "Premium Line"…

"The fact that they sell stuff for such lower prices, the fact that they buy out up and coming businesses, ESPECIALLY if they have patents on certain things. Not to mention the fact that none of their products use dust anymore since it was the company was renamed years ago." Weiss said, her tone hinting a bit of annoyance at the topic.

"Princess, you're just mad that they don't need to buy your companies dust to make their stuff and the fact that they are a major rival to your company" Yang teased, trying to further irritate the Heiress.

"Exactly! What company doesn't need dust to make their products?" Weiss was baffled about that, the majority of things on Remnant used dust in some way shape or form.

"Clearly the PNA, since they seem to be doing fine without dust" Blake said in a tone of smugness. She really despised the way the Shnee Dust Corporation treated its Faunus workers. That was made clear the day after everyone had settled in. Though no one knew about her Faunus Traits….And her super-secret book of guilty pleasure.

"Alright, I think we should all hit the sack, Ozpin said something about an important assembly tomorrow." Ruby said as she walked out of the bathroom.

"What do you think it's about Blake?" Yang asked as she looked down toward Blake.

"I don't know, but the way Ozpin made it sound, it could be very important." Blake said as she put her book away.

"Well he DID say that it could alter one of the teams in a big way." said Weiss as she climbed up into her bed.

"That is true, anyway, we'll see tomorrow, night everyone" said Ruby as she turned off the lights

"Night Rubes"

"Goodnight"

"Night"

Auditorium. Around 1:00

People were chatting around the auditorium as Headmaster Ozpin was walking up to the microphone. Sporting his signature mug with some coffee.

"Good afternoon everyone. Today, we have received 2 Transfer students. Usually transfer students aren't a big deal, but this is. The reason for this is due to the fact that they will not be going into their own team. Instead, they will be placed into an existing team which will bump the number of members on a team from four to six. This is something that we usually try to avoid due to obvious balancing purpose among other things, I shall allow it to purposely happen on this one occasion. Before we choose the team that will get these two individuals, let meet them first." Everyone was looking at the side entrance as Ozpin starting to introduce the first student.

"Introducing first, Please welcome Alexis Blau!" Walking up the ramp and behind Ozpin was a Teenage Woman with fair, milky white skin, Blonde hair that went straight down her back and curled at the ends and Brilliant Hazel Eyes.. She was wearing a White Sleeveless Vest with blue trim along with a blue skirt and matching Blue Fingerless gloves and boots. Her weapon is on her left arm and is in a dormant state. Some people start wolf whistling at her and Ruby was gawking at her, causing Yang starts giggling. On the podium, Alexis at this point was covering her face in her hand and shaking her head. Ozpin then immediately regained everyone's attention by clearing his throat. "Ok, now that the immaturity has ceased, let me introduce our other student." He then took another sip of his coffee before starting his monologue

"Introducing next, from Patch, he attended Signal academy and is the current CEO of the PNA Corporation, please welcome Alexander Rojo!" Everyone was stunned. No one knew who the CEO of that Company is! Everyone was snapped out of being stunned as they heard music beginning to play. The lights around the arena where Ozpin was standing at begin to go crazy, until everyone began to notice that the lights were actually going to the beat of the music. On the big screen behind Ozpin, the PNA logo also spinning around to the beat. After about a minute and a half of waiting, the side entrance was the point of interest as Male with Caramel colored skin, slicked back hair and Brown eyes was walking towards the podium. He was wearing Blue Jeans and a Black T Shirt with the PNA Logo on the right breast. He also had a black long sleeve undershirt. On his left wrist was what at first glance looked like a typical digital watch, but upon closer inspection it was revealed to be one of those new Smartwatches with a touchscreen. Weiss and Blake stared in shock as Ruby and Yang were whispering to each other.

In Weiss' head, her thoughts were going rampant. 'No way! I don't believe this! He didn't tell me he would be the Head of the Company! He told me that we still be in touch. Did he forget? Does he even remember me? I hope he does…'

Ruby and Yang were also in disbelief and started to whisper to each other.

"Yang, it's…It's…

"I know Rubes!"

"Now we are going to draw to see what team will receive these two superb students." Ozpin then started to type something into his scroll tablet.

While that was going on, Alexis and Alexander had decided to introduce themselves to each other. "So you're the super-secret head genius man person in charge of PNA?" Alexis asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, pretty much. Not much to say about that since you basically summed that up in six words." The brunette shot back jokingly with a smile of his own.

"Aren't you a little too…Young to be running a multi-billion Lien company?" she said that as she raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, but so was Seto Kaiba…what's your point?" she tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"Fair Enough" she extended her arm, signaling for a handshake "Alexis Blau, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Alexander Rojo, but everyone calls me Alex. The pleasure is mine." She took her hand and shook it.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What is he doing?" She pointed to him as he and Glynda were setting up the whole thing. He just shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe they are doing this to see what team we end up on?" He looked back at the Headmaster and Professor before looking back at Alexis. "If I were him, I would have just thrown all the teams into a hat and picked from there." Alexis just looked at him incredulously.

"Really? A hat?" He just shrugged

"What? Do you expect me to actually do a ton of work just to see what team two kids end up?"

"Uh, Yeah, kind-of. I mean, you are sort of deciding their fate for the next 4 years" He just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't have the patience to do that. Just stick all the team names into a hat and pick."

"You would suck as Headmaster, you know that?" She said in a joking manner. He just shrugged

"Eh, that's why if I get offered a job as one, I'll reject it immediately." They both smiled before going quiet again, still watching Ozpin do final checks on the thing he was working on, while the students were chatting amongst themselves. The two of them were looking around, and he could have sworn he saw….no, he was probably imagining things. Alexis then began to talk to him again.

"So, where do you think we'll end up?" He just shrugged. "It'll probably be a team that is weak and needs help or something. You know, one that is either close to failing or is already failing." He raised an eyebrow at how she was acting…a bit arrogant.

"You sound like someone who has had that experience before. Has that happened already?" She nodded

"Yeah, back in Atlas we are only in teams for about 4 months or something unlike here where it's 4 years. But I would almost always be paired with people who were incompetent. I would ask why, and would always be told 'It's so you can help your fellow classmates'. It was annoying as hell because I am not some kind of super-human-I-can-backpack-the-god-damn-team. I'm a regular person, but professors always put me up on a pedestal as if I was a God or The Stig." Alex raised an eyebrow again.

"Top Gear reference?" She nodded. "You like the show?" She nodded again "Nice. Don't worry about incompetent teammates though. Since we got paired up as partners, I can assure you that I am not incompetent…usually." She just rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Meanwhile, Ozpin had finished setting up what he called dubbed the "Draft Lottery"

"Alright everyone, we will now see who will have these two students as teammates for the next 4 years." Ozpin said as he pressed a button and all the teams started to pop up in quick succession. Then the Beacon Academy logo showed up and the team was revealed and everyone was gasped audibly. "The team that will receive these two, is Team RWBY! Team RWBY, please stand up so they know who you are." As they stood up, they looked towards them and Alex was shocked at what he saw. Suddenly his mind was filled with different thoughts and different possible scenarios.

'It's Ruby and Yang! And Weiss! Oh god…I am going to be yelled, and hit and yelled some more and my god do I have some major explaining to do to them here… great. Maybe they'll let me live…Nope, no chance in hell. Though who is that girl with the bow?' As he was having a hidden mental breakdown, Alexis waved at the team, all of whom but Weiss waved back. She turned to the boy noticed that he had somewhat frozen and tried to snap him back into reality.

"Yoo-hoo, you there? Did you die and freeze here?" Alexis asked as she waved a hand in front of his face

"Wha- Im fine, just something caught my attention…yes….that" He then points at some random thing in the air

"That caugh-"Alexis was interrupted as Ozpin began to speak again

"Alright everyone, that was all that needed to be discussed today. Mr. Rojo , Ms. Blau, why don't you go and meet your teammates and roommates for the next 4 years?" Ozpin looked at the two of them as he spoke. The both nodded and started walking down the ramp into the crowd to find their teammates. Despite the fact that he is the Head of the 2nd largest Company in all of Remnant, all of that was done away from the public spotlight, and as a result his people skills weren't exactly the best in the world. As soon as they got there, Alexis introduced herself to everyone and instantly started conversing with Blake. While Alex had to deal with a confused Ruby, a fuming Weiss, and a Yang who looked somewhere between upset and about to rip your testes out, staple them to your forehead and call you a unicorn. Once everyone's attention turned towards him, only one thing went through his head.

'Well shit….'

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Author's Note: Nothing much to say really other than to leave some feedback, I will appreciate it as it will help improve the story. I read feedback and often go back and make corrections to other chapters. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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'Well…Might as well get on with it'

Just as Alex was about to great everyone, Ruby beat him to it and grabbed him in a very tight hug. Weiss looked on in surprise and Yang just looked as serious as she was before.

"OhmygodohmygodAlexitsbeensolonghowareyouwhathaveyoubeendoingdidyoumissmeandYang-"as Ruby was asking all these questions Yang pried Ruby off of him, much to her displeasure.

"Awww, Yang!"

Yang went over and gave him a very tight hug….a very tight one.

The brunette could literally feel his bones being repositioned and the air being squased out of his lungs.

"Yang, Please….Air…." He managed to choke out before Weiss had to intervene.

"Yang, could you please not kill him? We kind of need him alive now." He was relieved as she loosened up the embrace enough for him to regain some air.

"I come to greet you like I do, and you do this to me?" She asked in mock hurt. "Corporate has changed you man, you used to be a lot tougher."

"Ha ha very funny." He drawled, before Yang extended her arm into a handshake, which looked as if she was getting ready for an arm wrestling competition.

The brunette CEO smirked as he grabbed her hand, an audible slap as he made contact. The makeshift arm wrestling began, neither of them budging as they both tried to push the others arm. Weiss, Blake and Alexis watched with raised eyebrows as Ruby watched intently.

Yang began to get the upperhand, smirking as she slowly began pushing her arm down. Her smirk grew a little bit as she heard a soft grunt.

"What's the matter, the PNA got you pushing too many pens? Hm?" she taunted. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as he began to fight back. A small smirk formed on his face.

Ruby noticed that they had gotten back to square one, so before someone popped a blood vessel she decided to intervene.

"Alright, see Yang? He hasn't lost his edge!" She said as the Scythe-wielder pried their hands.

"I went easy on her." He returned in jest.

"Pfft, as if Richboy. Actually now that you are Rich, we can legit call him Richboy!" She exclaimed.

Weiss simply facepalmed, before a thought got her attention"Alexander you know these buffons?" She asked, surprising both Yang and Ruby and making Yang comment on it.

"Alex, you know the Ice Queen?" She taunted Weiss, causing her to glare at the brawler.

"Yes…and Yes…." He wasn't expected a show.

"The three looked at him incredulously before looking back at each other and back at him. "How!?" Weiss and Yang asked at the same time. Ruby was just sheepishly rubbing her head. Blake and Alexis had simply been watching the whole time.

"I'll tell you everything once we get to our room. I don't want to share details with the general public." He gestured around everyone as they began the trek to their dorm. Ruby had decided to walk next to Weiss, something about feeling natural was her reasoning. Alex had fallen behind and was walking next to Blake. He turned and remembered that he didn't get to properly introduce himself to her.

"I didn't get the chance to introduce myself to you, my name is Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex. " He said while looking at Blake

"I understand why, it isn't exactly easy when someone is arm wrestling." she joked with a small smile. "My name is Blake. Blake Belladonna. Pleasure to meet you." She added, extending her hand out.

"Likewise" he responded, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake. "It's just a small thing, nothing much really past it." He elaborated.

"Right, understandable. But I am a bit curious as to how you know the three." The brunette girl responded, curiosity getting the better of her.

"As soon as we-"he was cut off by Ruby

"And here we are, Welcome to Team RWBY's Dorm!" she said enthusiastically. She then used her scroll to open the door "Tada!" As everyone went inside, both Alexis and Alex just stared at the beds, the Blonde immediately asking on behalf of their health.

"Why are the beds being held up by Rope and Books?" She looked at the beds, swearing that she saw them move. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose as she gave them an explanation.

"Yang and Ruby thought it would be a good idea to make bunk beds to have space for a TV and other useless things" She spat, not please in the slightest. The scythe wielding dolt was going to get her killed! But she couldn't stop herself from thinking of said dolt recently…

"We aren't going to have to do that….Right?" Alex asked the blonde, his fear of heights showing as he paled slightly.

"We don't even have beds for the two of you!" Yang said, rummaging for something in the mini-fridge.

"Ozpin said he had some people who would bring out beds to the dorm, he just didn't say when" Alexis responded.

"He did? When?" He asked, confused. He remembered Ozpin saying something about the beds, but he tuned him out after something about homework. Alexis just looked at him, deadpanned.

"Really? Didn't you pay attention when we were in his office?" He had to think for second. Paying attention wasn't exactly his forte.

"Ohhhhh….no, not really." He said, flexing his jaw nervously.

"Not incompetent huh?" She said sarcastically, arms crossed and a small smirk on her face.

"Can we start hanging our stuff up and putting it away?" Clearly ignoring Alexis retort, he grabbed his suitcase and lifted it to show them.

Ruby pointed to the empty closet in the corner of the room "You guys can hang your clothes there." Then pointed to the very long dresser. "There is the place our undergarments go, you get ONE drawer." Alexthen raised his hand. "What?"

"This laptop." He took out said Laptop "Where can it go?"

"It can go on top of the very large dresser. We sometimes use it as a desk if the desk is in use." He nodded as he put his second backpack on the dresser before gabbing his suitcase.

As he started to make his way to the closet, Yang stopped him "Alright, are you address the elephant in the room or what? How do you know the ice queen?"

"Yeah, how do you know this brute and her dolt of a sister?" Weiss added on, keeping to herself how said dolt looked really good for some reason lately.

"Alright, Alright." He said as he grabbed a bottle of an Orange Beverage. Popping it open, he sat down on a chair.

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Author's Note: Leave some feedback, it helps me improve the story greatly. Thanks for reading and following the story and what not and hopefully this entertained your faces!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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"So first let's go with Weiss, How do I know Yang and Ruby? Simple, I grew up with them." He started, surprising the heiress. He continued "Parent's were good friends with mine and we often were at their house. I'd end up playing with them while they did their adult stuff. I'm not going into details, but we are close."

Yang reached over, swinging her arm around his neck and bringing him close. You could hear his neck cracking.

"Yup! We grew up together, know each other secrets and stuff. Pretty cool right? We could even share some!"

"Yang, I'd rather you not do that please." He said, trying to get comfortable as Yang held his neck.

"Alright, I won't embarrass you…yet." She teased, making him sigh. Letting go of him, he took a drink of his orange beverage before turning to Yang and Ruby.

"As for you two and how I know Weiss…You know that I kinda run a company right?" They all nodded. Weiss, knowing where this was going, covered her hands in shame. "Well, when you have an old fart as President of a company, and they have a daughter, they try to get her together with some other rich person from another family."

"Ok…" Yang motioned with her hand to speed this up. "Annnnd?"

"Well Weiss's father, Heir Ødegård Schnee, thought that since I had money I must be from a wealthy family. So imagine my surprise when I am leaving and am taken by these huge buff guys, thrown into a limo and taken to the Eisentracht Mansion/Fortress."

"Wait, you were kidnapped?" Alexis asked for them all, Weiss kept hiding her face in shame. But she let out a small smirk at the story. It was still funny.

"Yeah, and it gets better. So I'm in this limo, probably thinking that I'm going to die. I didn't have my weapon and the doors were made up of something beyond normal materials. I eventually end up at the mansion and am escorted into said mansion. After walking for what seemed like 5 Grifball fields and a small shopping center, we arrived at this huge dining hall. Sitting at the table was Ødegård and next to him was Weiss." Everyone turned to her, noticing that she was hiding her face. Though only Ruby saw that she was trying to hide a small smile. Inside the Crimson Haired girl, something felt…good about seeing her smile.

"So he starts talking to me in Atlesian, which I can't speak very well, and end up picking up a few words here and there. He leaves, leaving me with her. The first thing I asked was 'What did he say?', which prompted her to laugh at my expense."

"Wait…Weiss….laughing?" Yang asked, shocked "That is Out of Character as hell, Weiss is always a moody, someone-shat-in-her-cornflakes, stick-up-her-"

"Yang." Blake interrupted. "Behave." She scolded.

"Anyway, we talk and get to know eachother and what not and it's all fine and dandy. We don't leave the mansion or anything since it's like a small city, anything you could want is probably in that castle." He paused to take another sip of his orange beverage. "Fast forward sometime and Ødegård comes onto the field where I am, kicking a grifball as I do, and promptly orders me to and I quote 'Verdammt, hauen Sie ab!'. He then proceeds to have me removed from the very large premises. I ended up finding out that because I run the competition to his SDC, he thinks I am going to use Weiss for my own personal gain."

"And were you?" Ruby asked.

He pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, that's unethical and uncompetitve like….and Rude."

"Dang." Yang whistled, a sly smirk on her face. "Does this main that you two did the dance with no pants?" That earned a blushing glare from Weiss and a confused etched face from Alex

"You blonde brute! Why must be so…so…lewd! And for your information we did not do anything!" Yang smirked as she answered.

"If I don't then who will?" That earned a laugh from Alex.

"I missed that so much." He turned to Alexis and Blake "Alright, now that that's cleared up, do you two have any questions?" Alexis shook her head. Blake responded though.

"Not right now, though you wouldn't mind if I ask you later?" The truth was, Blake wanted to know about the way Faunus are treated there. She heard stories, similar to that of the SDC, but she would give him the benefit of the doubt since that seemed to have happened before he was in charge.

"Sure." Blake nodded. "Aight then let's-"a loud knocking interrupted up. While Weiss was trying to stab Yang, he opened the door and found what looked like his and Alexis' beds. She was able to save Yang from getting impaled and in return helped him bring them in. They then proceeded to set it up in the open space where Yang had her plans for stuff.

"Hey, My TV was going to go in that side!" she whined and Alexis responded before Alex could.

"What do you propose we do?" Alexis asked with a raised eyebrow. Ruby responded to that

"Make some bunk beds too!" Alex instantly shot that down before her question was even finished being asked.

"No…No..mmm mmm….MMM MMM…" He shook his head "no…no…no…no. no. No. NO. NO! Hell No! No! No! I refu-NO….No. Look Yang, we will find a place to mount your TV, but I am not making bunk beds…Especially ones that are supported by books." Alexis had to stifle a laugh at the pitch of his panic stricken voice was priceless. Yang took this as an opportunity to extract revenge on him for taken away her TV space.

"Alex is afraid of falling off the bed. It's because when he was small, he-"

"OK! Thank you Yang!" he shouted sarcastically. "No one wants to talk about it."

Once they got accommodated, they both checked their schedules for the classes they would be taking. After all that was sorted out and he has his supplies in his bag. He stomach growled, signaling the time to find some nourishment.

"When can we go eat? I'm hungry." Alexis nodded in agreement. Weiss suggested that they should go and get dinner. As they got to the cafeteria, they noticed that Team JNPR was already at the table waiting for them and waved. Once they got their food, and in the time which Weiss and Alexis gave Alex flak for his choice of chicken nuggets and some fries, they sat with JNPR and they introduced themselves to the two newest-temporary members of Team RWBY. Juane instantly introduced himself to Alexis first.

"The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." Alexis just chuckled nervously, choosing to scoot away from the blonde boy and closer to Alex.

"Hello! I'm Pyrrha Nikos." Alexis and Alex both shook her hand before Ren introduced himself.

"Lie Ren, but everyone just calls me Ren."

"I'm Nora! Did you know that sloths make different noises based on the time of day?" She then proceeded to demonstrate the noise sloths make during the day time. Both Alexis and Alex just blinked as they saw the display in front of them. Once they had introduced themselves to Team JNPR, they just chatted about stuff and got to know each other. Yang occasionally liked to stick her nose where it didn't belong, but overall it went well.

Eventually, they both decided to head their separate ways. While walking behind the others, The blonde and Brunnette initiated in some small talk.

"So Alexis, how are you liking our team and the school?" He asked

"Honestly, I thought we would be put on some team that needs help being trained….or keeping up on their grade by piggybacking but the team we were placed in is cool so far. What about you?" The blonde asked. Something about him caught his attention, and there was some kind of pressure within her. It was uncomfortable or anything, it felt…Nice? Though it only seemed to happen if she was near the brunette boy. She ignored it, probably blaming it on the Jetlag.

"We those two, this is going to be fun." He replied, a smile on his face. His smile made that feeling within the blonde swell for some odd reason as well.

As they got back, everyone changed into their sleepwear. Alexis had similar pajamas to Yang, except her Tank Top was Blue and white, and her shorts were baggy and longer. The boys' sleep wear consisted of a White shirt with Black sweat pants. Everyone said their good nights and went to bed, getting rested up to tackle the day tomorrow.

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Authors Note: Thanks for reading and hopefully I entertained your glorious faces!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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A loud shrill awoke five of the six members of RWBY. This caused Yang and Alex to roll off of their beds hit the floor.

"Wha- whowherewhywhenhow?" Alex asked quickly as he looked around. Yang just groaned, face down on the floor. Alexis and Weiss were looking for the source and once they found it, showed their displeasure by glaring at their leader. Blake just looked on, as she was already dressed.

"Good morning Team RWBY!" Ruby exclaimed happily.

"Really Ruby? A whistle? I would have been fine with just pushing me on the floor, and pouring some scalding hot water on me or something…" he replied to Ruby.

"I knew you wouldn't wake up like that, so I used this whistle! Kills 4 birds with one stone!" Ruby replied as she fixed her cape. Since he was not a morning person, the boy grabbed his stuff and walked to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower…"

"I know how long you take in there Alex, leave some hot water for the rest of us!" Yang remembered how back at Patch, he would use all the hot water and leave Yang to bathe with freezing cold water.

"You have your semblance to warm you up. As for the two of you-"he looked at Alexis and Weiss, shrugged and said "if there isn't any more hot water…." He yawned "bad luck then." Then he went inside. Once inside, Yang noticed Alexis sitting up on her bed, and apparently everyone else noticed her as well. Alexis noticed everyone had been looking at her and started to feel really uncomfortable.

"Uhm, Hi…Is there something on my face?" She didn't know what was going on. Yang got the chance and spoke up first.

"No, there isn't anything on your face. It's just that we haven't had the chance to talk properly to you since Ruby, Weiss and myself were a bit preoccupied with him" he pointed to the person in the bathroom. Alexis understood and decided to tell the group a bit about herself.

"Well, my full name is Alexis Blau, I'm turning 17 soon. I was born and raised in Atlas. I studied at the Atlesian Hunters Academy." Weiss interrupted her.

Weiss then asked another question. "How did you and get accepted into Beacon now though? I mean classes start today, but initiation happened a week or so ago." That got Ruby, Weiss and Yang's attention. How did they get acceptance so late? Alexis rubbed her head embarrassingly as she answered.

"Um... I don't know about him. I applied normally and was accepted with no problem. The reason I was late was because was because I didn't get to the last Airship to Beacon that day. The Vale Port Authority was nice enough to at least accommodate me for the night in a hotel and book my next flight free of charge." Alex then stepped out and then Yang ran passed Weiss. That didn't make Weiss to happy. And she voiced her unhappiness.

"You blonde brute! I was next!" Yang responded from behind the door.

"You snooze, you lose Princess, ask Alex. He can back me up on that" then the shower started up from the other side. Weiss sigh, annoyed at that and grabbed a chair. She decided to ask Alex how he got accepted.

"Alexander?"

"Yo"

"How did you get accepted to Beacon so late? And why did you even come here in the first place?" That caught him off guard. He scratched his head the same way Alexis did before answering.

"I… uh may have stopped a major robbery in progress?"

Ruby obviously wanted to know everything that happened so she fired off questions in rapid succession. "Oh my God! How did you do that? Did you use your uber fighting skills?" Ruby's eyes widened before she asked the next question in a whisper "Did you kill them?"

"You dolt! You're overwhelming him." Weiss scolded Ruby, who apologized to her before apologizing to him. He laughed before he answered the questions in order.

"It's fine Weiss. No need to apologize Ruby, you're curious and want to know. Fair enough. Yes. I also did use my 'uber' fighting skills. And no, I didn't kill them. I captured two and one of them got away unfortunately. The guy that got away had a top hat and a cigar in his mouth. He also fought with a cane as well. Weird combo. Anyway, I caught the attention from someone here... So here I am." Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed his scroll and shoved it in his pocket. Ruby eyes widen again as she remembers someone matching the description

"Wait! I think I know who you're talking about, I stopped him from stealing some dust from a local dust shop, and it's how I got here in the first place!" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Wow he must really be popular then..." Everyone turned to the bathroom door that just slammed open.

"Man, nothing like a shower in the morning to start you off on the right foot. Though these uniforms could use some work though." She shrugged as Weiss went into the bathroom. Alex was the first to respond to that.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you were such a fashionista back at Patch." He shot, remembering how he would always get asked questions from Yang regarding her outfit. Yang was apparently had a response at the ready.

"At least I don't wear the same thing all the time"

"I don't wear the same thing all the time. I just happen to buy the same jeans, and the same shirt."

Yang then decided to tease him a bit more. "You probably where the same boxers everyday"

The brunette had obviously caught on to what Yang was doing before he answered in a monotone voice. "Yes Yang, I wear the same boxer briefs every day. I have no sense of style in terms of clothing, you are the ultimate definition of a fashionista. Please teach me your ways O-Great master of hip clothing." Y

ang had a small pout on her face as she responded. "Oh boo, it's no fun when you admit it voluntarily." He rolled his eyes as he put on his watch, which was laying on the small nighstand.

"If I didn't, then someone would either be dead or dying from your puns" Yang then had a grin on her face.

"It's just that people can't handle my puns. I will say this though, when you go out to eat, eating an eagle is legal. However, if it's sick, it's... ill-eagle. Eh? Eh?" Blake, and Weiss roll their eyes and shook their heads while Ruby and Alex groaned.

"Why Yang…Why? That one was even remotely part of the conversation!"

"My puns are funny and you know it. You laugh at them all the time." As he was putting his watch on, he walked towards Ruby. "I am so sorry I left you alone to suffer through this, horrendous abuse. I will compensate you in some way…eventually?" Ruby just nodded with a grin as Alexis finished up. She did not look happy though.

"You-"she pointed at Alex "Used up all the hot water. I had to shower with some freezing cold water!"

"Sorry?" He tried, but it was a futile attempt.

"You are going to be the last one to take a shower from here on out, got it?" Her face wore a scowl that could scare the dead back to death. He agreed in an instant.

"Yes Sir! I mean Ma'am!" Ruby and Yang giggled at his expense. Ruby then pulled out an itinerary with all the classes for the day.

"Alright Team RWBY! Our second order of business iiiiiiiis...! Classes... At 9, we've got to be-"She was interrupted by Weiss

"What?! Did you say 9 o'clock?" Ruby, confused, responded.

"Uuuum…" Weiss, exasperated at this point, responded.

"Its 8:55, you dunce!" and she ran out. As she ran out, both Team RWBY and JNPR watched her go before Ruby responded

"To Class!" the rest of Team RWBY followed. Juane then loses his balance before panicking

"Class...? We're gonna be late!"

The two teams caught up to Weiss and Ruby as they were running across the courtyard to get to class. In the distance, Glynda and Ozpin looked on, with Ozpin simply taking a sip of his coffee.

* * *

Leave some feedback, it helps me improve the story greatly. Anyway, thanks for reading and following the story and what not and hopefully this entertained your faces!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Professor Port's Class

"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!"

'Ho-leee crap…I am about to pass out' As Professor Port kept talking, Alex kept trying not to fall asleep as he yawned for what seemed like the tenth time within five minutes. 'I never believed that it was possible to do so but damn, he just goes on and on and on an-'his internal monologue was stopped by a tap on the arm. It was Alexis who seemed irritated and was glaring at him. She then whispered to him

"Alex, pay attention. You're going to miss something important!"

"Alexis, he just drones on about his childhood and stories about Grimm and says bad jokes." His claim is further backed up as the Professor tells another bad joke. "See my point?" She just rolls her eyes.

"You never know, this could all be on the test." He rolled his eyes. Then he got an idea

"I highly doubt that..." they both turned to here Professor Port finish up his story.

"Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..." He then winks at Yang, causing her to groan uncomfortably "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!" A student then yells from his seat from the third row.

"Ayyyy-yep!" Everyone just stared at him as he sat back down. Port then swiftly moves on goes back to tell another story.

"That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy..." Alex just throws his head back against the chair as he looks at the others before throwing his head back on the desk. He then starts to play around with his watch, just swiping the notification cards back and forth on the little screen.

On the other side of the row, Weiss is starting to get really agitated at Ruby's' antics. She noticed Ruby doodling and tried to get her back on track, but obviously she was too busy. When she finished, Ruby snickers at her creation and shows it to her teammates: A circle with lines for arms and a smaller circle for a head, with stink lines coming from him and "Professor Poop" written underneath. Blake, Alex and Yang are heard laughing, but Weiss and Alexis just looked annoyed. Weiss even more so. As Professor Ports story went on, , Ruby was agitating Weiss even more. First she falls back to sleep, then wakes up and starts balancing an apple on a book with her pencil held only by her finger. What set her off is when Ruby started to pick her nose in a not so subtle fashion. At this point, Professor Port had finally finished his story.

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of Hunter?" Fuming over what Ruby had been doing, Weiss raised her hand.

"Well, then, let's find out!" he turns to gesture at the glowing red eyes surrounded by shadow and shakes the cage that traps it "Step forward, and face your opponent! But first, go and change into your combat attire" As she leaves, Professor Port starts to tell another story to pass the time.

Yang got Blake's attention and whispered to her "I think Ice Princess in way over her head..." She just smiled at Yang. Before she could say anything, Weiss had come out in her combat attire and Professor Port had finally finished his story. She got in her fight stance as the rest of Team RWBY Cheered her on.

Yang raised her fist and yelled first "Goooo, Weiss!"

Blake waved a small flag saying RWBY as she said "Fight well!"

Alexis pulled out a Foam Finger with RWBY on it as she cheered "Let's Go Weiiiisss Let's Go!"

Alex had what looks a Team RWBY headband and right wristband, and drank something out of a Team RWBY Thermal Mug spoke in an Atlesian accent [1]. "Weiss, give that thing a taste of Atlesian Engineering!"

Ruby cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled "Yeah, represent teeeeam RWBY!"

Out of all that, what Ruby said caught her attention."Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" Ruby looks down sheepishly

"Oh, um... Sorry..." Port then snaps her out of it as his voice booms aloud

"Allllright!" He is next to the cage, and pulls out his axe "Let the match... begin!" The professor swings down and breaks the lock, dropping the cage door and reveals the Boarbatusk inside, which then immediately begins to charge at Weiss. She uses Myrtenaster to deflect its attack and she rolls to the side, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stands a distance away from its enemy, studying her. Port comments on this. "Ha! You didn't expect that, did you?" Ruby proceeds to try to give her some moral support.

"Hang in there, Weiss!" She speeds towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until they clash and Myrtenaster gets trapped in the beast's tusks. Weiss hangs on to the hilt, and is tossed around as she struggles to get her rapier back. Port also comments on this, believing it's a new strategy.

"New approach. Very Bold. I like it!" Ruby keeps up with the moral support.

"Come on, Weiss, show it whose the boss!" Weiss turns to glare at Ruby, only for the Boarbatusk to turn its head and rip the sword from her grip. Myrtenaster lands far away from her, who is knocked back by the creature's tusks. Everyone is now suddenly interested at the fight in progress. Port points this out

"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Weiss looks up just in time to see the Boarbatusk charge at her again, and rolls out of the way just in time to avoid getting trampled and causes it to crash into a desk. Weiss rushes at her sword and slides to it to get it back in her hand.

"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath-"

"Ruby! Stop telling me what to do!" Ruby looks hurt at Weiss' rebuttal and looks down dejectedly. Meanwhile, the Boarbatusk leaps into the air and rolls into a ball, spinning rapidly in the air and lands on the ground, gaining speed until it launches itself at Weiss. It comes closer and closer, but Weiss activates her semblance and one of her blue-white circles and blocks the roll, leaps up into the now-black snowflake symbol and turning it blue again so she can drive the blade into the Boarbatusk's stomach. It squeals and falls silent and Weiss gasps in relief. She looks up and hears Port commending her.

"Bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" As Weiss stands up at attention from her exhausted position, Ruby continues to frown and Port keeps going "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... Stay vigilant! Class dismissed!" Weiss glares at her team, before she turns away, walking hurriedly to the exit past her teammates. Jaune sees that speaks up.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" The remaining members of team RWBY look at each other with the same question as they leave. Weiss, still mad, is still storming off, but Ruby turns a corner and manages to catch up with her.

"Weiss!" she answers her leader an attitude

"What?"

"What's wrong with you? Why are you being-?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!" Ruby scoffs at the accusation.

"What did I do?"

"That's just it - you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!" Ruby, shocked at Weiss, asks her about her abrupt change of heart.

"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team." It was Weiss' turn to scoff as she answered

"Not a team led by you. I've studied and trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better." She turns her back to Ruby, who tries to reach out but drops her hand with the following words "Ozpin made a mistake." And walks away as Ruby looks down dejectedly. She is surprised as Headmaster Ozpin begins to speak behind her.

"Hmm... Now that didn't seem to go very well." Ruby turns around looking doubtful and even on the verge of tears.

"Is she right? Did you make a mistake?" Ozpin laughs slightly

"That remains to be seen." Meanwhile, Weiss is still walking around the halls, until she comes across a balcony where Professor Port is watching the sunset over Beacon Academy's rooftops. Weiss approaches him

"Professor Port!" Port turns around to look at her.

"Ah, Miss Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"

"I... I really enjoyed your lecture!"

"Of course you did, you have the blood of a true Huntress in you." Weiss smiles a little, before frowning again.

"You really think so?"

"Most certainly!" he notices Weiss' small frown and her lack of eye contact before speaking again. "Hmm... Something's troubling you." She nods a little.

"Yes, sir..."Port laughs a bit

"Well then dear girl, confess to me your strife!" Weiss takes a deep breath before she speaks

"Well... I… I believe that I should have been the leader of team RWBY." Port is silent for a moment until he speaks up

"Why, that's preposterous!" Meanwhile, with Ruby and Ozpin…

"What do you mean, Headmaster?"

"I mean, it's only been one day. Ruby... I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them." He leans in so he can look more directly at Ruby "Do you?" At the same time, Weiss gets angry at Port's confession.

"Excuse me?!" He was unfazed by the way she responds

"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!" Weiss didn't understand, surely he wasn't serious.

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?"

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude." At hearing this, Weiss was seething.

"How dare you!" Port just raises a very large eyebrow.

"My point exactly. I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted." Weiss crossing her arms, looking at him defiantly.

"That's not even remotely true!" Being under the Professors gaze, she relents reluctantly "Well... not entirely true." As she converses with Professor Port, Ozpin is still speaking with Ruby.

"Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you're not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Ruby looks thoughtful with Ozpin's words, then smiles at him. Professor Port continues speaking to Weiss

"So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?" Weiss finally calms down and looks at him again "So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be. Not just to your leader, but your team, your friends." Weiss smiles a little at the words of wisdom. In the hallway, Ozpin finishes up talking with Ruby.

"You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time, talk to someone else about it, maybe think about how you will uphold it. Just because you are a Leader, doesn't mean you must carry the burden alone." Ruby, with a last look of consideration, nods and begins walks away. She comes to the balcony where Port is walking away from Weiss and smiles a little at her partner. She begins to feel something in her chest and stomach, a sort of fluttering feeling as she looks at Weiss. Shaking her head, she walks away, taking out her scroll and begins typing something out to Yang, hoping to talk to her. She receives a response almost instantly but frowns, unhappy at the message she received. So she went to find the next best person.

* * *

Later in the day, The Library.

"Whoa, this place is huuuuuge!" Alex exclaims in awe. Alexis just shakes her head. They agreed to come here and do some homework to avoid distractions that would usually be at the dorm.

"It is big, I will give you that. So where do you want to sit?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. Pick a spot and let's go." Alexis looks around and sees a less crowded area. She points it out and they make their way to it before sitting down, leaving their bags on the side of the table next to them. The both pull out some papers and begin to work on the different class assignments. After about an hour of small talk and working, Alex finishes. That stunned Alexis as he seemed to have more work than she did.

"How did you finish so quickly" he answered her as he stretched.

"I learned to multitask. Plus most of this was easy." She grabs his papers to check if they are right.

"Hey! Get your own!"

"Relax, I'm just checking them" She was surprised to see that they were all correct and handed it back to him.

"See, I told you."

"So are you going back to the dorm then?" She tried to not sound disappoointed.

He shook his head and a response "No, at least not right now. There isn't anything to do at the dorm, plus I like spending time with you. It's relaxing." Alexis smiled at him and blushed slightly, thanking deity in existance that he was facing the opposite direction while he cracked his back.

"Hi Alex! Hi Alexis! Hey I just noticed, Alexis is just Alex with an 'Is' added at the end." The brunette and Blonde simply blinked at her in confusion

"So it is, how can we help you Ruby?" The swordwoman asked. Ruby had a gist of what was happening even though she knew for a fact Alex didn't. He was as dense as lead. Ruby wasn't as naive as everyone thought….sort of. She felt kind of bad asking, but it was important.

"Can I borrow Alex for a bit? I want to talk to him about something." Alexis face fell a bit, but it returned with a smile.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks Alexis." She grabbed Alex's arm and walked away. He waved at her as they walked. Once they were out of the library, they proceeded to walk around the halls.

They were both silent as they walked along the path. Ruby took a deep breath to calm herself down as he asked the brunette."Alex, do you think that Ozpin was right?"

He just looked at her as they kept walking, not exactly knowing what this was about. "Right about what?"

Ruby elaborated "Do you think he made the right decision? By choosing me to lead this team?"

He smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder. "Ruby, if the Headmaster made you Leader, he didn't do it because he wanted to take the piss. He saw something that made his decision final. Trust me on that." She smiled at him but was interrupted by him again "Ozpin made you leader because he knows that you will lead this team to success. I know that is what you want. I also know that you want to help people, like in the stories Yang read to us." He smiled sadly, he missed Yang and Ruby when he was in Atlas.

Ruby then remembered something and asked him about it. "Do you still plan to become a hunter?" Alex narrowed his eyebrows, in a thinking pose of sorts. He had to run a company, but this was what he really wanted. He looked down at Ruby, who was still waiting for his response. He then understood where she was going with this.

"Of course! Were going to go around the world to help those who can't help themselves!" Ruby beamed, they've talked about this since they were small kids. "I don't care that I have to run this company, I will standby like I said I would. We are going to go around the world and kick some Grimm ass and chew some bubblegum. Speaking of which, do you have any?" she shook her head. "Damn, whatever. Like I said before, I will standby you when we do this. Just give me a couple days' notice though. I have to stock up on my Orange Beverage" She rolled her eyes playfully.

"You still drink that?"

"Of Course! 'Tis only the best drink in the history of the Universe and you very well know that thank you very much"

"Its K" He stopped in his tracks, how dare she call the best drink in the Universe 'K'

"No, it's the best drink. Period."

"It's K"

"Fine, by that logic, Sugar cookies are 'K' " he just threw a low blow there and Ruby was not having that.

"How dare you insult the Glorious Sugar Cookie!" He shrugged as a small smirk tugged at his lips.

"Chocolate Chip cookie is by far the better option" Ruby was not having that.

"I think coffee is a better drink than your 'Orange Beverage'."

"How dare you compare my Glorious Drink to that vile, steaming, disgusting brown liquid that you have to work on in order to get it to your liking!"

"You just hate doing Manual Labor"

"How dare you speak the truth!" Ruby started to laugh at his serious façade. He tried to make a serious face which caused her to laugh even harder and fall to the floor, clutching her sides. She was gasping for air when she finally stopped.

"Stop overacting, you're fine. How about we agree to disagree?" Ruby nodded her head as they got back to walking. He checked his watch and realized that he left Alexis alone in the library for over an hour now. "Crap, I forget I left Lex in the library." He slapped his hand in front of his mouth as if to stop the works from coming out, but it was too late.

"Lex?" His cheeks turned almost as red as her cloak. She smiled sweetly at him…Too sweetly. "Aww, you already gave her a nickname! That's so cute!" Alex just groaned.

"Sod it." She smirked. He only said those words when he was embarrassed or in a similar situation to this and never held any disdain.

"Nah, that so sweet. Alex and Lex, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-" she was interrupted by a poke on the side, which made her squeak.

"How old are you? Five?" She pouted

"Come on, let me have some fun" Then she began to sing again "Alex and Lex, sitting in a tree, K-" she didn't even begin to spell it before he began his evil dialogue.

"You know I'm going to get you back for that right? I'll get you back…It could be later tonight, or It could be tomorrow" Her face paled. He always kept his word when he said that. "But I will get you back" She swiftly changed the topic as she looked around.

"AAANYWAY, I'll be back at the dorm if you need me." She paused before walking away "Thanks Alex, I knew I could always talk to you." He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, it's no problem. I guess I'll see you back at the dorms."

"Yeah, thanks again Alex. Bye-bye!" She waved and in returned received a two finger military salute, and then turned around and she made her way to the dorms. Alex had to run back to the library as he had wasted too much time already. When she got there, he saw her just looking at her phone. He noticed she had a small frown as he got closer, but she didn't notice him.

He slowly walked behind her, she was still oblivious to his terrible stealth.

"Hey." She jumped and grabbed her chest, her heart was beating hard against her chest.

"What was that for?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry, I didn't think I would scare you. Did you finish your things?" She shook her head

"I needed your help on a couple of questions, but you were busy talking with Ruby. So I saved them until you got back" He heard a bit of something else in her voice as she mentioned Ruby, but couldn't figure out what that was, so he decided to ignore it and helped her. After she finished the final question, she stretched herself and checked the time.

"Crap, we should get back to the dorm." Alex didn't believe her at first, not knowing how late it really was.

"It's not that late…Is it?" He checked his watch and his eyes widened a bit. "Well, I stand corrected." They both grabbed their belongings and begin the trek to their dorm. About ten minutes later they were back at the dorm, Weiss had just stepped out of the bathroom, and Ruby had just climbed up the bed, both in their nightwear. They both noticed that Blake and Yang were already asleep. Weiss gave them a small smile as Ruby gave them both a bob of the head, in a sort of "What up" type of way. Ruby then covered herself in her sheets and instantly fell asleep. Alexis whispered to Alex as he got her stuff for bed.

"I'm going to go get changed." He just gave her a small nod and thumbs up. When the door closed, Weiss grabbed the boy's attention "Alex?" He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. She continued "Can we talk tomorrow? In private?" This time, she received a vocal answer

"Sure, how about after our last class?" She nodded "Alright." She gave him a small smile.

"Thanks…." That stopped what he was doing, she never called him that back at Atlas. He responded with a small smile and nod along with a thumbs up, and she went to bed. After, he got his sleep wear in a small pile and got ready for bed himself.

* * *

Author's Note:

[1] Imagine that quote being said in English with a heavy German Accent.

Also, reminder to please leave me some feedback, as it would help improve this story and maybe something else I cook up in the future...If i can cook up anything. Anyway, thanks for reading and what not and hopefully this entertained your faces!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six Renovated

* * *

His arms were straining, cuffs digging into his wrist and the one on his left had drawn blood. He didn't feel it though. He was used to the pain. After all, he was living with 'her'. He hears her walking down the stairwell, footsteps echoing around the stone walls… Speak of the devil. Looking up, he saw her carrying what looks like an industrial steel link chain. As she walked down, her face wore a cynical smirk.

"Looks like you've been awake"

"…"

"Again with the silent treatment? What have I done to deserve this?"

"…"

"Is it because of the injection, or the fact that we tried to fit that metal plate into your arm, then removed it? Or was it because we used broken glass to open your arm to do that? Or was it because I threw you into the canal? Or that I made you fight the AK's? Or was it because-"

"Fuck off you stupid, physcotic, deranged, insane, demented, fucking bit-"A blow to the side of his head had cut him off.

"Didn't that old teacher along with his bitch teach you to respect your elders? Especially your own family?" Spitting out blood, he responded.

"They did…it's just that you don't deserve it…" Losing her temper with him, she whipped the side of his leg using the chain, near his knee causing him to collapse and scream in pain. That also caused the cuff on his left wrist to draw even more blood as it dug in deeper.

"You make this so hard on yourself. And for what?"

"Fuck…you…."

"Alright, I'm done talking anyway. It seems that I still can't get through that thick spine of yours. So I am going to do something about it." She walked around behind him, grabbing the chain she brought. "Hopefully this will teach you to treat the person who taught you about this business some god damn respect" She proceeded to whip the chain against his back, making him scream out in pain and agony. "You ungrateful son of a bitch, your parents would be fucking proud if they knew that you were chosen to lead this company over me." She kept hitting him with the chain over and over as she spoke. "Too bad that you can't. No one is taking this away from me, especially not some fucking kid, regardless of how smart you are despite your age." Every time he was hit, he felt his spine basically being shattered everywhere. Luckily it was just that, a feeling… Until she took a step back and used the entire length of that chain. "Hopefully you learned to treat me with the respect that I deserve, not only from you, but from all of remnant." At the end of that sentence, she let the chain fly, hitting him straight on his lower back. A crunch was heard before his eye bulged out and he let out a glass shattering, agony filled scream.

* * *

Alex sat straight up suddenly as he woke up. He looked around, noticing that everyone was asleep.

'Damn, that dream was mental. Never watching anything like that and eating before falling asleep.'

'Damn, its 7:15. No point in going back to bed now. He said, that dream having shook him up.

Opening the bathroom door and looking at his teammates, everyone was still sleeping. Quietly, he went to the closet to get his uniform. On the way, he dropped his scroll back on the charger as he grabbed his uniform from the closet. On the way back, he noticed that Blake was shifting slightly in her bed, but didn't think much of it. Once he got back to the bathroom, and was about to close the door, she whimpered slightly, but he still heard her. Whimpering slightly louder, Alex decided to wake her up. He gently pushed on her shoulder.

"Blake" he whispered "Wake up"

She said something, but he didn't catch it. She said it again, and this time was audible

"Adam, Please. Please don't do this" Adam? Who was Adam?

"Who?" He shook her with a bit more force.

"Adam, NO!" She woke up, startling Alex a bit.

"Blake?" She looked at him, her eyes showing the fear of her nightmare. "Are you ok?"

"…Yes"

"…"

"…"

"You just woke up from a nightmare…I don't think you're doing that well." She sighed.

"Look, I appreciate the concern. It was just a nightmare."

"Alright, if you say so."

"Why are you up at this hour? Isn't it a bit early to get ready?" He froze in his tracks. Blake had a point, but he wasn't going to concede.

"I happened to wake up and couldn't fall back to sleep" She obviously didn't buy it, but the tone to it told her to drop the subject. He hopped into the shower, doing what is usually done in the shower, such as shampooing, lather rinse and repeat, before drying himself off and getting dressed. Blake walked into the bathroom withe her stuff. Ruby slowly began coming to and noticed the brunette already awake.

"Alex?" She yawned before she continued. "What are you doing up early?"

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep." Ruby, still tired just nodded her hear before she tried to climb down. He helped her down or she would have most likely fallen flat on her face. "Thanks"

"No problem. By the way, Blake is in the bathroom." She nodded sleepily. He browsed the news on his laptop, knowing that streaming anything at this hour was just kids show or some old people infotainment. One thing got his attention and if he was still tired, this had woken up immediately. On the Sports and Entertainment Programming Network SEPN, more specifically SEPN Deportes, the guide showed Breaking News but not much else. Interested, he pressed on the channel in the guide and it began to stream to the tablet. What was on screen, plus what the group of four people were saying in Mistralan shocked him.

On Screen: "Joseph Platinihas stepped down as President of the IHA[1]"

First Pundit: "For those of you joining we just now, let us get you up to speed. Joseph Platini, the Man who WAS head of the International Hunters Association of Remnant has stepped down just four days after he was elected into his fifth term on Friday. Both the Atlesian and Mistralan Governments have warrants to extradite the 14 members of the IHA who were charged with wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering. One of them was the President of Hunters Union of Vytal and Patch, who was also the Vice President of the IHA at the time of his arrest. Another huge arrest was made when the former CEO of then PNC, Sabina Rodriquez, was found to have accepted bribes of at least Two Hundred Million Lien in the form of kickbacks, tax incentives, and cash in order to convince the Atlesian government to hold the 'Vytal Tournament Aniversario Centenario' outside the Kingdom of Vytal. That Tournament was scheduled to happen next year, after this year's Vytal Tournament. Qualifying would start about eight months before instead of six and would be the largest Tournament thus far. The Venue would be the PNC Arena of Atlas, which is still under construction as of now.

Third Pundit: "The question that we are asking each other, as well as everyone is asking, is will this tournament be canceled? The current CEO, whose name we don't even know, hasn't said anything about this. The PNC, which is now the PNA, despite its change in leadership, needs to answer for this. All we know is that relationship between the current head of the company, and the former CEO Ms. Rodriquez has been so bad that she told VNN and AMV News that "Whoever is in charge is not fit to lead a large company like this. I know for a fact that I was the only person that can lead it. The Schnee Dust Corporation not only needs Competition, but we also need to find a cheaper alternative to Dust"

Second Pundit: "That old bat doesn't know what she is talking about. Yes an alternative to dust is always nice as an option for the people. Especially given that it's cheaper, but Dust is at its lowest price in years. And it's still going down."

Alex was too busy watching to notice that the rest of the team had gotten up. Once he paused the stream he saw that Yang was rubbing her eyes, Weiss was sitting up, and Alexis was wrapped in her sheets trying to get more sleep.

"Yo Alex! No 'Good Morning'?" He rolled his eyes

"Good morning Yang. Sleep Well?" She nodded, sleep still in her eyes. "Atleast Ruby didn't use the whistle."

"That's true. Hold up, how long have you been up?"

"What time is it?" He checked his watch. 7:45. "About forty five minutes to an hour"

"Why? I thought that you of all people would still be asleep."

"I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep"

"Really, you of all people would be the person to win the 'Person who would sleep through anything' award." Before he could retort, Alexis unrolled herself from her blanket burrito.

"Mornin' peoples"

"Morning Blondie."

"Good Morning Alexis"

"Morning Lex" Weiss looked at Alex quizzically before shrugging. Yang on the other hand decided to tease him.

"Lex? You two have little nicknames for each other?! How adorable!" Alex and Alexis received a swift dose of pink on both their cheeks.

"Sod off Yang" Yang was having way too much fun to stop.

"Alex and Lex sitting in a tree-"

"Yang." Blake warned.

Yang stopped and puffed out her cheeks at Blake."Oh boo, your no fun."

Blake simply shrugged, a small smile gracing her features but hidden behind a book.

Alexis meanwhile was talking with Alex "Do you want to the library again? I mean we don't have to if you don't want to. It's just that we actually got work done and we had a bit of fun and-"

"Slow down, of course I'll go." Alexis smiled a little. She suddenly noticed how his uniform fit on him, how the shirt molded to the shape of his arms and felt that pressure again. She had lost track of how long she was staring.

"Lex, You alright?" She snapped out of it and answered

"I'm fine, just thinking." He raised an eyebrow before lowering it and smiling

"Don't think too hard, it's too early for that." She laughed a little. That got Ruby and Yang away from their argument and teased the two in front of them.

"Aww, Alex is flirting!" that caused Ruby to squeal in glee, Alexis to blush furiously and Alex looked at Yang in confusion. He's never heard that before.

"Uh...what?" Yang's jaw dropped as Blake peeked from her book

"You don't know….what flirting is?" a shake of his head confirmed. "It's when one person-oof!" Alexis's pillow ended Yang's sentence.

"Alright, Alright Sheesh… Gotta be so frisky. Alex, control your gir-" Alexis lunged at her trying to smother her with the pillow. Alexis through gritted teeth whispered to Yang

"God damn it Yang, can't you shut it for more than ten seconds?" As that happened Alex, who was still confused, shrugged before resuming the paused stream. Hopefully, getting more information on the ongoing development.

Fourth Pundit: Rumor has it that the CEO of PNA goes to Beacon academy. If that's true, it would just be a matter cross checking records and getting him to answer about this. This is a good day not only for those who enjoy the sport of Grifball, but also those who watch and attend the Vytal Festival. This could fix the years' worth of corruption done to both Sports.

First Pundit: "Alright, let's take some callers to get their opinion on the subject."

He decided that was enough and closed the Streaming Application. Weiss had gotten out of the bathroom and Alexis jumped to grab her things and get to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Weiss noticed that Yang was on the floor, and just shrugged her arms before making her bed. A couple of minutes later, Alexis came out and Yang walked in.

* * *

After everyone had finished up, they all went to get something to eat. When they got there, they noticed that Team JNPR was already sitting at the table. Ruby waved at them and they all waved back, with Nora making a huge scene and Ren trying to sit her back down. Once Team RWBY had gotten there food and sat down, Nora began to tell some ludicrous story.

"So! There we were, in the middle of the night..." Ren corrects her.

"It was day." She looks at Blake, who is reading, and Yang who is listening intently.

"We were surrounded by Ursai..."

"They were Beowolves."

"Dozens of them!" she screams this as she stands at the table. Weiss is ignoring Nora and filing her nails, Ruby, Pyrrha and Alexis are listening politely, Alex is on his scroll and half listening, and Jaune is messing with his food.

"Two of 'em."

"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Ren just sighs.

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

They continue to Talk about Nora's dreams of Selling Ursa and Grimm Related accessors.

The intercom announced the end of Breakfast, And Team RWBY and JNPR went to their respective classes.

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch. Sparring Class

Cardin has his mace perched on his shoulder while Jaune is on the opposite side of him with his weapon, Crocea Mors drawn, leaning on his weapon as if exhausted. They are both in spotlight shining on the Beacon Academy auditorium stage. He looks at Cardin, who laughs at his tiredness, and Jaune gathers his strength to charge forward and swing his blade at Cardin, only for him to jump out of the way. Jaune looks back, surprised, as Cardin's mace sends Jaune's shield - and himself - flying back. Armed with only with his sword, Jaune continued to try and attack, but is blocked by the mace's hilt. Their weapons locked, Cardin forces himself up, towering over him.

"This is the part where you lose."

"Over my dead-!"Jaune is cut short as Cardin knees him in the gut, causing him to drop his sword and fall to the ground in pain. Cardin raises his mace and is about to slam it down on a worried Jaune just when a buzzer rings, the lights come back on, and Glynda Goodwitch's voice causes him to stop.

"Cardin, that's enough!" he reluctantly relents and walks away as she comes onto the stage, tapping her tablet sized scroll "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In an IHA sanctioned tournament-style duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match." Jaune just lays on the floor in defeat and Pyrrha looks on sadly, Glynda turns her head to look at the losing warrior as he pulls out a smaller tablet with his low, blinking stats "Mr. Arc, please try to refer to your Scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide when it's appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more... defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now, would we?" Cardin snorts quietly

"Speak for yourself..."

Glynda continues on to the seated and standing students, such as Yang, who is punching the air in anticipation, Weiss, shaking her fists with an excited smile, Ruby, shaking her entire body with enthusiastic energy while squealing softly, Alexis, with a smug smirk, and Alex, who has his arms crossed with smugness leaking in his smirk. "Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! Qualifying will begin soon! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete and successfully qualify for the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!" The bell rings, and students start leaving while Pyrrha continues to frown sadly. Jaune, still sitting on the floor, hangs his head in shame.

She had been walking around the halls for about half an hour now, looking for him. She couldn't grab him on the way out of their last class because Alexis had dragged him somewhere. But where? As she entered library she noticed a blonde, laughing as the brunette across the table was was balancing what looks like his scroll on his nose while juggling some wads of paper. As she approached, Alexis noticed her, but Weiss motioned to be quiet as he snuck up on an unsuspecting Alex.

"Lex, did you just feel the temperature drop like ten degrees?" Weiss just rolled her eyes

"No, but someone that could do that is behind you." Alex's eyes widened, he had forgot...'Well Shit.'

"Hey Weiss…"

"Hey Alex. Alexis, do you mind if I borrow him for a little bit." Alexis felt that pang of jealously return, but hid it behind a smile and nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll be here." Weiss thanked her as he dragged Alex out of the library.

As they walked out and in the hall, Weiss was trying to find a way to word what she was trying to say.

Alex spoke up first. "Alright Weiss, what do you want to talk about?" he had an idea of where she was going with this, but decided to not say anything.

She took a breath as she began. "I might have said some things to Ruby…Things that challenged her appointment as leader." He raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say to her?" he asked with a raised eyebrow

Weiss looks down, feeling something she hasn't felt in years. Guilt. "I may have possibly told her that she acts like a child. And that she hasn't earned her position as leader on the team…." She stopped there, hoping that he would believe that's all. Of course he knew there was more.

"And?"

"I may have said that Ozpin made a mistake."

"Weiss, that was a bit harsh. What brought that on anyway?"

Weiss remembered what Ruby had been doing, goofing off in Ports class. "Part of it was because she is so young, and that despite the fact that I was trained by the best of the best, I wasn't chosen to be leader of the Team. What she was doing in Professor Ports' class didn't help either."

He just looked at her, contemplating what to say. Obviously she needed to apologize, but she also needed to make amends with Ruby so that the team doesn't fall apart so early into the year. "You have to apologize to Ruby."

"I realize that, but I don't know how"

He raised an eyebrow…"Really, you don't know how to apologize?"

"It's not that I don't, it's the fact that I also want to make it up to her for what happened when we first got here." He raised another eyebrow. Weiss apparently had forgotten that he didn't arrive with everyone else at Beacon.

"What happened? Has it slipped you mind that I wasn't here when the rest of you were?"

Weiss raised her eyebrows in surprise, she indeed had forgotten that he came late. She explained the gist of it to him. "Basically Ruby, had crashed into me and I scolded her….for about 5 minutes. I guess a bit of fire dust got into her nose, and she sneezed. That caused a small explosion of Fire, Ice and Electricity."

Alex just laughed at Ruby's' misfortune. That did sound like Ruby. "You know, I am honestly not surprised. I mean that is something Ruby would do eventually. "

Weiss nodded, but she still wanted to make it up to her. Besides the brunette boy, she hasn't had any friends. Now that she is at Beacon, she could turn around and maybe make some friends.

"So can you help?" She asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "You need to do this on your own. I mean, try to befriend her. Humor her with at least listening to her. Hell, maybe even talk to her. You never know, you too could have things in common and that could help as well. Helping her study is a start, just like Lex and I do." Weiss raised an eyebrow. 'Lex?'

"Lex?" He groaned again, is everyone going to be giving him flak?

"Is everyone going to be giving me crap about that? Damn."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I won't do anything like what Ruby or Yang did, but I do think its sweet"

He just covered his face with his hands, trying to cover the smile forming on his face "Alright, enough about me. Have you thought about how you're going to make it up to Ruby?" She nodded, it was something simple. A small sign of friendship. But she would do it.

"Alright, is that all you need? Or is there something else you wanted?"

Weiss thought about it, but shook her head "No, that's it. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it"

He nodded before the eventually parted ways. As he walked to the library, he saw Pyrrah and Juane in the Sparring Arena, seeing Jaune getting his ass handed to him. Thinking nothing of it, he made his way to the library where he saw Alexis wearing a frown again. Though she was looking at her work instead of her scroll, she still didn't notice his presence. That is, until he scared her…..again.

"BOO!"

She screamed a bit clutching at her chest…again "What is with you and scaring me? What have I done to you?" She gave him a hard hit on the shouilder

"OW!Is me scaring you a justifiable cause for hitting me?"

"Yes"

"…"

"…"

"Of course it is, so what are you doing anyway?"

"This stupid packet that is difficult and hard and can you please help me?" fluttering her eyelashes for extra effect. He just rolled his eyes and began to help her. Not too long after, Alexis finished her work. As he got to work with his own packet of work, Alexis had decided to 'borrow' his scroll and played some game on it.

Eventually she got to a mission that she couldn't do and asked for some help in a sophisticated manner…"Alex!" she whined "I can't beat this mission, help me?" He stopped to look at what she was talking about.

"Just look up, and press the little grenade icon to throw one into the window. The building falls and you run the opposite way." he said, not even looking up from his work. She nodded and thanked him As she was doing that, he looked up and noticed how she had her tongue out slightly as she concentrated at the task at hand, before he snapped out of it as she completed her objective and did a small victory dance. He just smiled as he continued doing his work.

He eventually finished and noticed that Alexis was just looking at his scroll, examining it. She didn't notice him staring as she examined it.

"Alexis" She looked up "What are you doing?"

"I was just looking at your scroll, I noticed how it's different from mine" She took her scroll out and compared it to his scroll and started to point out the differences.

As Alexis compared the two, Alex had to explain that because he made both the scrolls for Beacon and his own, he could add or remove components in order to allow him to have a custom one. Of course, Alexis voiced her opinion of that…

"That's not fair! I want to have one that is unique too" She pouted, and Alex found that to be cute….

"Crap, its getting late. We should head back" She noted the time. He agreed and they made their way back. On the way, the accidentally brushed hands which caused Alexis to blush a little.

As she looked at him, he noticed his arms again, the muscles that could be seen from within the long-sleeve undershirt caused her to blush an even darker shade of pink. Thankfully they were almost at the dorm. Once they did get there, he decided to show off a little bit with his technology, and put his watch against the door. The contact made the door unlock itself, allowing both of them inside. Alexis just hit him playfully while she whispered to him, making sure not to be too loud to wake their sleeping teammates

"I'll be in the bathroom." He nodded as he dropped his scroll on the wireless charger, grabbing his nightwear. He proceeded to take off his watch and placed it on the small table.

He noticed that Weiss wasn't there and that Ruby was studying.

"Ruby?" She looked up at him "What are you doing and why are you doing it so late?"

"It's for the leadership class that I have to take. Speaking of that, Glynda wants you to take the class too, she gave me of your new schedule. It's next to your watch charging thingy on the table." She pointed to it as she explained. That didn't sound exciting and he showed his displeasure by groaning.

"Why do I have to do that? I thought it was for leaders or something." She just shrugged, but that meant that she wouldn't be alone in class at least. Besides Jaune there was no one in the class she knew or wanted to know. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow, it's after our last class too. Thankfully it's only like an hour though."

"Great…Oh well, I guess that makes me a special snowflake too since only they get to be in the class, right?" She nodded and she whispered loudly

"Yeah, Go Team Special Snowflakes!"

"Do you need some help?" He nodded at the stack of papers.

"Nah, I got it. It's just there is a lot of it."

He looked at her with a raised brow."You just started it…Didn't you…"

"No….Maybe?"

"You have to do it early so you can finish. Otherwise you'll be doing this at night all the time."

"It's just sooooooo boooooooooooring!" He just rolled his eyes.

"Just try to do it early, ask Weiss for some help. I'm sure she would help." Ruby grimaced as he mentioned Weiss. She still was a bit upset and hurt over what she said. He noticed her facial expression. "What's wrong?"

She just looked down. "It's just that I don't want her to yell at me or scold me or-"

"Ruby, calm down. I think she's over it…..I think."

Ruby snorted, answering reluctantly "Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the offer though."

"No Problem" at this point, Alexis had gotten out and was on her way to her bed.

"Good Night Alexis"

"Night Lex"

"Night Alex, Night Ruby" she then proceeded to unceremoniously flopped into her bed and wrapped herself in her sheets. He just looked on in surprise before shrugging and going to the bathroom.

"Well, I'm going to get ready and hit the sack."

"Alright" As she did her work, her mind wandered to Weiss. 'She was very mean, but if what he said is true, maybe I can befriend her. Who wouldn't want to befriend her? I mean she is smart, and fights well, and is pretty- wait...No I mean it... she is pretty. I mean she does look good, especially with her hair down...I mean yeah she's good looking, but I'm like one hundred and ninety nine percent sure she doesn't even like me, let alone swing that way.' As she had a mental argument with herself, Alex came out of the bathroom and closed the door, making his way to his own bed.

"Night Ruby"

"Night Alex."

* * *

Later...

The full moon shines over the green lights of Beacon, and in the room of team RWBY, the door opens and Weiss' shadow is seen against the hall's light. Blake is sleeping under the covers, Yang is spread out on her bed and snoring, Alexis is wrapped in her blankets like a burrito, Alex is sleeping face up under the covers with one hand on his chest, and when Weiss lifts the blanket that covers Ruby's bed, she finds the Ruby with her head resting on notes, a pencil in her hand, and open books all around her. Weiss, looking amazed at Ruby's determination, clears her throat and gently shakes the other girl awake, who takes a second to regain consciousness and start flailing in surprise.'

"Weiss! I-I was studying, and then I fell asleep! I'm sorry..." Weiss places a hand over Ruby's mouth and puts a finger to her own so Ruby understands to lower her voice. Weiss looks near Ruby's pillow and spots an empty Beacon coffee mug.

"How do you take your coffee?" This confused Ruby.

"I... I don't..." Weiss began to get irritated

"Answer the question!"

"Uhh, cream and five sugars!" Weiss sighs

"Don't move." she ducks under to her own bed and comes up a moment later with a fresh cup, offering it to Ruby. "Here."

This kind gesture surprises Ruby, but she takes it."Um... Thanks, Weiss."

Weiss smiles, then looks apologetically to Ruby

"Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader." Ruby smiles appreciatively before Weiss continues "Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!" They both share a smile "Good luck studying!" Weiss ducks under, only to come up and point at one of Ruby's papers "That's wrong, by the way." And ducks under again. When she speaks again, her voice comes from the doorway this time

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Uh-huh?" Weiss stands in the door with her hand on the knob, her back toward Ruby and she is facing the door, a small smile on her lips

"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." And then she closes the door. Ruby, grinning at the progress with her new friend, goes back to her notes. Eventually, Weiss comes out and walks over to her bed.

"Goodnight Ruby" She smiles a bit, hearing a genuine 'Goodnight'.

"Goodnight Weiss" Ruby finishes her homework about ten minutes later before putting it in her bag. She looks at the corner, where Alex's bed is. 'Well, I guess you were right about her. Thank You.'

And Ruby went to bed with a smile.

* * *

Author's Note: Renovations for all! Just cleaning up useless stuff and whatnot. Don't mind it too much please. Anyway, leave me some feedback to see what can be improved, I am open to it. Thanks for reading this and hopefully I entertained your glorious faces!

[1] International Hunters Association, the Governing Body and the issuer of Hunters License to register Hunters and Huntresses.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Some Minor/Major events have happened, but they will be addressed later on in the story. Possibly in the form of small flashbacks. Nothing critically big has happened, but I should mention it in order to prevent confusion later on down the line. So in the interest of time (hmm), there is a time skip time of a few weeks. Here is an example of when the storyline gets modified. The reason is in order to preserve the Bumblebee and White Rose ' _Boats'..._ More so Bumblebee in this example.

* * *

Chapter Seven.

* * *

It was Friday and none of them had homework, so some of team RWBY decided to walk around campus.

"Yang, can we go buy the TV now? I want to play some games!" Yang shook her head as she walked along. Blake was somewhere, Weiss was studying, Alexis and Alex are behind them and Ruby was next to Yang.

"It's Alex's fault! If he hadn't put his bed in that spot, I would have bought the TV already and mounted it. But Mr. Afraid-Of-Heights here didn't want to do that.

"Yang, just because you're OK with crushing Blake once those books give out doesn't mean that I'm ok with being crushed by Alexis bed if whatever support beams we used gave out. Or Vice Versa." Yang smirked, an opening has arisen for some teasing and bad jokes!

"Of course you wouldn't mind being crushed by Alexis, I mean she would be on top-oof" Alexis, with a face that rivaled Ruby's cape, hit Yang in the stomach and downed her instantly. "What the hell was that for?"

"Why do you always have to be perverted?"

"Alexis, I know why you're acting like this." Alexis raised an raised eyebrow "It's because you want your men, like you want books….thick and bound in leather" Yang started laughing so hard she was on the verge of tears, Alex and Ruby were just confused, and Alexis looked like she was about to murder someone to death, revive them, then murder them again. She grabbed Yang, who was done laughing and getting up, and put her into a headlock. Through gritted teeth, she addressed the both of them

"Ruby, Alex, Mind if I borrow Yang? I am going to have a serious" she tighten her grip even more "conversation with Yang about very, very naughty and overall terrible puns, okay?"

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! ALEX GET HER OFF OF ME!" He decided to humor Yang and began to walk towards the two. He had made it about half way there, before he froze. Alexis was giving a look that could kill, so deciding his life was far more important, he slowly backed away.

"Sorry Yang, this is out of my Jurisdiction." Yang stared wide eyed

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! SHE'S YOUR PARTNER AND YOUR GIR-"Alexis had covered her mouth with her free hand. She winced as she felt Yang lick her palm.

"We'll be back, don't wait up!" As they moved away, Alexis yelled at Yang "STOP LICKING MY HAND DAMN IT!"

Alex and Ruby just stared ahead. Reminiscing on what had had unfolded, before looking at each other and began to walk back on the path they were on.

"As Yang would say 'Well, that was a thing.'"

"Yes, yes it was."

It was silent for a bit before he decided to speak up again, curious about the situation with Weiss and Ruby.

"So Ruby, how is the whole thing with you and Weiss? Does she still scold you for no reason?" Ruby blushed a little at the mention of Weiss, she had been helping her get her work done at a faster pace and in a more organized fashion. Also, she was able to get really close to Weiss…..Really close.

"It's going good, great actually! She helps me with my work and helps me organize it. She also is hanging out with me a lot more, talking a bit more and what not." Alex smiled, believing that she had turned Weiss into her friend. What he didn't know was about Ruby's preference… and her growing crush with Weiss. Ruby obviously knew this so she decided to ask about it, maybe he could even give pointers…If she makes it sound as if it was a random question out of the blue…Wow that was a tall order for her. She took a breath and went for it.

"Alex?" he turned his head, raising an eyebrow "What's your opinion on homosexuality?" He looked confused and that confused Ruby in return. Surely he knew what that is…Right? I mean he runs a big company for dust sake, he would at least have heard the term before! Her fears subsided when he answered.

"Isn't that when two people of the same gender like each other? Like, like-like?" She nodded in confirmation "I have no problem with that at all. They can choose who they want to be with and do whatever it is people in relationships do. I don't have any reason to hate on them anymore than I don't have a reason to hate Faunus." Ruby smiled on the outside, but on the inside she was squealing in glee! Before she went to Signal, she had discovered her preference and was afraid that he would be like other people, closed minded about this. She thanked every deity in existence that wasn't the case.

"I thought you would be like those people who are closed minded about that."

"Why would I be? Like I said, I have no reason to."

"Some people are just like that unfortunately."

"What you mean like Cardin and his team?" Ruby laughed as she remembered when he saved Velvet from CRDL.

"Yep, like them." He just shrugged. Though why she had asked out of the blue was beyond him, he just filed that under 'non-important'. They walked along in silence for a few more seconds before Ruby spoke again.

"Are you excited for the Vytal Tournament? Qualifying starts soon and we'll get people from other schools and then the tournament starts an-"

"Calm down Ruby. Yes it is exciting, though I want to know why students from other school try and qualify here." Ruby remembered what Yang had told her some time ago about the same thing.

"From what Yang told me, since Beacon is the "Host" Academy, we get more qualifying spots than any other Combat Academy. The transfer students can qualify in those slots. If some students from here failed to do so during our Qualifying Tournament, they can try and get into the Vytal Tournament by joining the transfer students when they begin to qualify."

"That still leaves the question, why here? Why not give the spots to the Academies instead of the hassle of bringing them here? Also, do we participate as a Team or individually?" Ruby tapped her chin in a thinking pose, remembering most of what Yang had said.

"We participate in a team, though I think that we might get the option to compete in the tournament either solo or in doubles." he nodded. "Anyway, we get a certain number of spots. I don't remember exactly how many. I forgot how many the Transfer students, since the academies don't want to extend their Qualifying Tournament because they are almost always behind Beacon in terms of how fast they are going in their studies. If they did, the others would probably not get the summer off"

"Wow…that's…actually really pathetic."

"Yup! That's why I wanted to go here! This is the best academy and we can go home during the holidays! It's a win-win!" He chuckled at Ruby's enthusiasm.

"Did Goodwitch ever tell us anything about our Qualifying Tournament?" Ruby looked at him deadpanned, she mentioned it during the Leaders Course Class!

"Did you not pay attention to her last week? She talked about it like three time!" Alex just scratched the top of his head sheepishly.

"Um, No?" She just looked at him while tsking a finger at him

"If you don't pay attention, you'll fail the class and Alexis will have your head." Alex just rolled his eyes, then remembered what she said on Monday.

* * *

The past Monday, in the Library.

"If you fail any course, I will personally cut your head off and use it as a Grifball, got it?!" She could be really scary when she wanted too.

* * *

He was pale white as he nodded frantically. Her face when back to a normal smile as they continued their work.

"Well…crap. Look I'll try but you playing around doesn't help"

"Oh no, don't pin this on me! You're the one who is always playing with your watch, swiping up and down" She mocked the way he looked doing that "I mean what can you possibly be doing on that small screen anyway?"

"Playing Flappy Nevermore..."

"…"

"..."

Ruby proceeds to hit him in the shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain. It should be mentioned a bruise has formed from the amount of times everyone on the team has punched it. Even Blake got a hit on it!

"What. The Hell. Is With. Everyone hitting my damn shoulder! It hurts!" Ruby just rolls her eyes

"Stop being such a baby about it. Man Up!"

"Easy for you to say, you don't have a five others who is constantly hit your shoulder for no discernible reason!"

"Whatever, back to the thing. Goodwitch said that we would be seeded into pots based on our grades. She didn't say how many people would be a group, and I don't know how many groups they'll be since I don't know how many people are in a group. She said that once we get closer to the Qualifiers, more information will be given."

"So basically, she just talked about how we got drawn into the groups? And you hit me because I missed that?"

"Maybe that'll make you pay attention."

"…"

"Anyway, how are things with you and Alexis? You two seem two seem to spend more time in the library than at the dorm." He shrugged, they didn't do much except talk and do work.

"We just do our work there, it's easier and a lot more spacious than in our dorm."

"Suuuuure, that's allll you do there." He just looked at her, confused. Ruby looked at Alex and saw the confusion

"Yeah, that's all we do." he continued talking with a raised eyebrow "What do you think we do at the library?" she suddenly felt awkward about the situation…'surely he can't be that dense...Right? I mean, he's seen the looks that Alexis has given him over the past weeks…He can't be that dense, right?!' Ruby tried and failed to explain it to him

"I mean, you two, and her-the way she-"she was abruptly cut off by Weiss.

"Ruby!" They both turn around and see Weiss, who doesn't seem to be in a good mood. "Where have you been? The test for Professor Port's Class is next week, and you need to study!"

"Aw, come one Weiss! That isn't until next Friday! Can't I enjoy the one weekday that I don't have homework?"

"Yes, AFTER you study. Now come on, the sooner you finish, the sooner you can enjoy the remainder of your day." She grabbed Ruby by her cape and dragged her

"NOOOOOOOO! Alex! Help!" He just looked at the scene that was unfolding before him. Weiss just waved at him as she continued to drag Ruby…who was literally kicking and screaming.

"..." He raised his hand before shaking his head and simply continued walking, wondering what Blake was doing.

* * *

Team RWBY Dorm

"Weiss, we've been at this for hours! Come on, let's do something fun!" Weiss sighed, they had been at it for about three hours.

"Alright, I guess we could take a break. What do you want to do?"

"What time is it?" Weiss checked her scroll, noting that there was still some light out.

"Ten to five" Ruby's eyes widened as she came up with something.

"Why don't we all go to Vale? I heard that they started to setup the city for the festival." Weiss perked up at this.

"Really? Isn't a bit too early for them to start?" Ruby just shrugged. "I suppose we could go. Why don't you call them and tell them to meet us at the Airship platform?" Ruby just whined, that was too much work for her to do.

"Weeeeiiiiiiiiis! That so much work…Help me?" She looked at Ruby deadpanned. Too much work?

"Ruby, are you serious? 'That's so much work'….You literally just call them, or even text them saying 'meet us at the Airship platform'. Seriously, it isn't that much work." Ruby wasn't having any of that 'logic' nonsense so she did the most sensible thing she could do. Give Weiss the puppy dog eyes. Once she saw them, she knew that was it. She just sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll tell Alex and Blake, you tell Blonde and Blondie." Ruby just shook her head, she wanted to tell Alex.

"Nope, I'm calling Alex!" Weiss began to rub her temples, feeling the migraine that would inevitably form. She just conceded defeat.

"Fine, I'll call Alexis and Blake then…."

* * *

Library

Blake was in a chair, reading her book "Ninja's of Love" with the cover swapped in order to make it Inconspicuous. She felt her scroll begin to vibrate. Taking it out, she saw Weiss picture on the screen.

"Hello Weiss."

"Hello Blake. Listen, Ruby wants to go to Vale and wanted to see if you wanted to join us." Blake paused for a second. The book was getting to the super "steamy" part, but she wanted to read it in a more…secluded area…later.

"Ok, where do you want me to meet you guys at?"

"The Airship platform in about ten minutes."

"Alright, I'll see you then." Weiss just hung up.

Sighing, Blake put the book in her bag before making her way to the dorm to drop the bag off. Once, she got to the dorm, she noticed it was empty. Most likely they had started to make their way to the platform. Though something had caught her eye. It was the faint glow of something on the dresser.

Walking towards the source, she saw that it was just Alex's laptop. The display was apparently on. She opened it up, glacning around the display.

"Hm" the screen bypass the unlock screen and saw some raw sketches. The sketches seemed to resemble a type of weapon and had writing all around it.

* * *

The PNA™ Corporation: Project Prometheus

Underneath it was a small box of text. With a description that said the following:

"This is a rough sketch for the new PROJECT PROMETHEUS PLATFORM, the successor of the BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER WEAPON PLATFORM. This platform is designed to be more compact and as energy efficient as possible. At the moment the weapon is to be based off of the Rorsh R3 pre-production model."

* * *

She skimmed through the blurb, curiosity getting the better of her as she read another paragraph from a different 'Project'. And this one got her attention.

* * *

The current state of the PNC MKULTRA Program

"The MKULTRA program was designed by former Head of the Protection iNitiative Coalition Company [PNC]. The idea was to test the weapons being produced at Defensive HQ in Northern Atlas.

Faunus were to be recruited, under the guise of opportunities of employment, falsifying documents to prove those untrue promises, and ultimately use them to test weapons manufactured. They would then be placed in 'Pre-Great War' Style Concentration and Containment camps. They would be fed morsels, and would be rounded up in order to test out different types of ammunition and weaponry. Slugs, GasX and Element 115 were just some of the things tested. Several more experiments were conducted but are too strong to actually describe.

Currently there are at least 5 other MKULTRA testing sites active on Remnant that have not ceased operations after the Acquisition and are actively being searched for to be-

* * *

Blake stopped reading, not being able to continue. She was not happy, she was fuming! Experimentation?! He was using faunus to test out weapons and basically torturing them! Of all the things! What agitated her is that he had saved Velvet from Team CRDL, claiming he wasn't Racist. Yet he was doing this! He's a hypocrite and a liar! Turning off the screen, she walked out with a scowl and her mood beyond ruined and his trust waning on a very thing line.

* * *

Hallways of Beacon.

"Alexis, I'm sorry! "

"Why do you have to do that Yang?"

"It's in my nature, just ask Alex."

"Look, just please, tone it down a little."

"I promise nothing."

"…"

"…"

Suddenly, Yang's scroll began to play a snippet of an achieve men song. She saw the Caller ID Picture was Ruby and answered.

"Yo Rubes, what's up?"

"Hey Yang! Me and Weiss are going to Vale and was wondering if you wanted to join." She looked at Alexis, who mouthed, 'What?"

"One Sec." talking to Alexis "Ruby and Weiss are going to Vale, you wanna come with?" She nodded and Yang told Ruby" Sure, could Alexis come to?"

"Sure, Weiss was actually going to call her, but I'll let her know now."

"Alright, were do we meet up at?"

"Meet us at the Airship Platform in front"

"Alright Rubes, C'ya then."

"Bye Yang!" The call ended and Yang told Alexis where they were going.

"They want to meet at the Airship Platform in front" Alexis nodded and they went on their way.

* * *

Beacon's Weapon Repair and Manufacturing workshop.

'Whoa, this place is huge' looking around, Alex saw that the workshop had everything. Ranging from Raw Dust, which was somewhat rare, to basic screwdrivers and everything in-between.

'I could modify my weapon extensively here, even re-manufacture it.' Ideas began to pop into his head one by one. Looking at his watch, he saw a vision. Perfect… His thoughts were interrupted as his scroll began to play a short tune. Checking the screen on his watch, The Caller ID Image was Ruby. He pulled out his scroll and answered.

"Ruby, what's up? Is Weiss using 'logic' again?"

"Haha, very funny. I was actually calling you because we are all going to Vale. And I wanted to see if you would like to join us."

"Sure, were should I go?" She told him to meet up were everyone else was going to be. "Alright, I'll see you there then.

"Alright, Bye!"

"Goodbye" She hung up and he just looked at his watch again, with his mind going a bit overboard with idea's... Eventually, he started the trek to the Platform.

* * *

Airship Platform

Everyone had made it, with Blake and Alex being the last ones to get on once they both got there. He greeted Blake as they looked for their teammates.

"Hey Blake."

"Hello, Alex" That caught him off guard. The tone of her voice was a lot harsher than he expected.

"Uh Blake, are you alright? I don't mean to pry, but you do seem somewhat…Pissed."

"It's nothing" she spat "Just something ruined my mood for the evening." Her voice was still harsh as she talked to him. Not wanting to agitate her further, he just nodded. Once they found the rest of their team, they took their seats next to them. Blake sat next to Yang, With Weiss sitting in-between Yang and Ruby. Alexis and Alex were sitting on the opposite side and were facing them. They heard the Pilot speak through the intercom, mentioning the destination and the time it would take to get there.

* * *

Vale Platform

The airship started to descend and Weiss woke Ruby up. She had fallen asleep on the way there and used Yang as a pillow. She also had fallen asleep with her head on top of Ruby's. Weiss shook Ruby which made her jump, hitting her head on Yang's jaw and waking her up as well.

"Ow, Ruby! What was that for?"

"It's not my fault! Weiss was the one who woke me up!" Yang glared at Weiss, who rolled her eyes in response.

"Look, the doors are about to open, so would you kindly just get up?" Yang huffed as she got up and froze. The sight in front catching her attention. It was hilariously adorable!

In front of her, the brunette CEO had fallen asleep with his head facing the windows. Meanwhile, Alexis was also asleep while clutching his arm, nuzzling a little into it and sighing in content. Yang had pulled out her scroll and took some very close and overall good quality photos of them. Once she had her fill, she woke up Alexis.

"Blondie, we're here. Wake up." She groaned, clutching his arm a little more before opening her eyes. Once her vision was clear, she saw Yang with a very, very wide grin. It was then that it hit her like a freight liner, and she looked at what she was holding. Her face turned redder than Ruby's cloak faster than her semblance and Yang burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" That caused Yang to clutch her sides, this was hilarious!

"Oh…dust…calm down….I can't breathe!" All the commotion had woken Alex up from his little nap. Yawning and stretching, he felt something gripping his arm. Alexis still hadn't let go and she hadn't realized.

"What's going on? Are we here?" She looked to Yang, who was holding her sides and laughing her face off. He looked to his right and saw Alexis, who was rad faced and fuming.

"Um, Lex? Mind letting go?" Her face turned even redder as she let go, hiding her face in between her hands and apologizing.

"Sorry Alex."

"It's Alright" He stretched once he stood up, cracking his back and knuckles. She looked down at Yang who was getting up "What's with her?"

"Nothing…Nothing at all"

"Alex, you are going to laugh once you hear this! Alexis had-"She was abruptly cut off by a hand covering her mouth

"It was nothing, she saw someone trip" She felt Yang lick her hand again and winced…again with this?

He just looked at the two blondes, confused. "Um, Ok then…" He shrugged and proceeded to walk towards the rest of the group. Alexis glared at Yang as she removed her hand from her mouth.

"Two things Yang…First of all, ew." She wiped her hand on Yang "Second of all, why do you have to do that?" Yang groaned. Is she dense?

"Alexis, I'm trying to help you out here. With him, you need to be a subliminal as a boot to the face." Alexis rolled her eyes, he isn't that dense….Is he?

"Yang, I'm sure you mean well. But really, I'm pretty sure you're just exaggerating. I can handle this. OK?" Yang rolled her eyes

"I know you can't, but I want to see this train wreck happen." Alexis rolled her eyes again and walked to join the group, with Yang not too far behind.

Once they got off the Airship, and left the station, they saw signs being put up by an elderly shop keeper. In red letters, the sign said "WELCOME TO VALE!" Weiss was the first to speak, raising her arms in amazement as she spoke

"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!" She was smiling brightly as she said that, something that Ruby had never seen before.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss, its kinda weirding me out..." She turned to Ruby, hiding the effect of the insult behind a smile.

"How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! The tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!" Yang decided to say something at this point

"You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."

"Quiet, you!"

They keep walking and stop near the docks, sounds of foghorns are heard. Yang covers her nose as the smell of fish hits them.

"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?"

"Ugh, they smell like fish!"

Alexis voiced her displeasure "Yeah, I didn't come to smell the fish."

Alex just complained "I hate seafood."

Weiss acknowledged all of their complaints with a logical explination..."I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And as one of the representatives of Beacon, the other being Alex, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!"

He just looked at her as if she lost her mind. Pulling his head back slightly in protest. "The hell you mean representative? I'm not going to do anything of the sort." Weiss raised an eyebrow. He was challenging her authority…Weiss Schnee's Authority. No, she wasn't going to have any of that. She simply grabbed his arm and began to drag him away from the group. Alexis and Yang just laughed at him as he struggled to get out of Weiss grip. Ruby looked on at him apologetically, and Blake was stoic, not caring about what happened to him.

"Weiss! Let go! I am not going to greet anyone! HOW ARE YOU EVEN THIS STRONG?!"

Blake knew what Weiss really wanted to do though. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."

Weiss stops and lets go of the boy, scoffing at her accusation. "You can't prove that!"

"Whoa." the team looks where Ruby was looking at. A shattered window down the street and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force before walking over to the detective in front writing on his pad. Ruby asked "What happened here?"

"Robbery. Fifth Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle."

"That's terrible." His partner looked at the register, it still had the money.

"They left all the money again."

Ruby was confused. "Huh?"

"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?"

"I don't know, an army?"

"You thinking the White Fang?" His partner just took of his glasses

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."

Weiss crossed her arms and pointed her nose in the air with her eyes closed "Hmm! The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

Blake, who was already in a foul mood, stood up for them. "What's your problem?"

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."Weiss responded

Blake scoffed and crossed her arms. "The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're just a collection of misguided Faunus."

Weiss looked at Blake in shock. "Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"

Ruby decided to intervene, hopefully to ease the tension "Hmm... Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Or that Alex fought some time ago as well. Maybe it was him."

Weiss ignored her went back to the argument at hand, how could Blake defend them is beyond her. "That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

Yang and Alex both spoke up at that. "That's not necessarily true..."

"Weiss, Yang has a point, you know that isn't true." Their attention turned to a sailor who was chasing someone on the docks.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!"

As the team overhears him, they rush over to investigate. A Faunus with a golden monkey tail is seen running down the length of the boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him. As he is running, he yells back at his pursuers.

"Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!"

"You no-good stowaway!" The monkey Faunus looks in shock and grabs his chest. All this while peeling a banana and hanging by his tail

"Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!"

"He technically has a point, he didn't get apprehended." Alex added while watching the said unfold. One of the detectives threw a rock at the Faunus to get his attention

"Hey! Get down from there this instant!"

The Faunus drops the banana peel on the detective's face, who growls in return. The monkey-like Faunus twirls up to crouch on the lamppost, laughs in amusement, and proceeds to leap off and run away from the detectives. As he runs past Team RWBY, he winks at an astonished Blake in slow motion before time speeds up again and he continues to be chased by the officers. When that happened, Yang threw a glare at the Faunus, trying to make a move on Blake...

As he got farther and farther away before saying something to Weiss "Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..."

Weiss holds up a finger and begins chasing him "Quick! We have to observe him!"

Weiss, Yang, Alexis, Alex and Ruby give chase. Blake was lost in her own train of thought after seeing Yang glare at the monkey faunus because he winked at her. She catches up with the team as they go round the next corner, but then Weiss bumps into someone and trips.

She looks up only to see Sun jump on to a building and disappear from her view. "No, he got away!"

Yang points strangely at the girl underneath her before speaking, "Uhh... Weiss?"

Weiss finally sees that she fell on a smiling girl, which startles the heiress and causes her to jump toward Ruby.

The girls is still down on the ground, smiling widely "Sal-u-ta-tions!" Ruby, creeped out a little, returns the greeting

"Um... hello."

Yang, who was also very creeped out asked "Are you... okay?"

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking."

The team looks at each other in bewilderment before Yang speaks up again "Do you... wanna get up?"

"Yes!" as she leaps back on her feet, the team steps back a little "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby."

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Blake hits her side "Oh, I'm Yang."

"My name is Alexis."

"Alex."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

"You already said that." Weis said.

Penny paused before speaking again "So I did!"

Weiss apologizes as they walk away. "Well, sorry for running into you!"

Ruby waves as Alex gives her a two finger salute

"Alright mate, stay safe."

"Take care, friend!"

As they get far enough away from a startled Penny, Yang started up "She was... weird..."

Weiss didn't seem to care as she looked for the monkey Faunus. "Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" Penny suddenly stood in front of a surprised Weiss, who jumped

"What did you call me?" Weiss looks back and forth in shock and Yang looks apologetic

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!"

"No, not you." She walks through the group and leans her head down to Ruby and Alex "You two!" Both Ruby and Alex were startled

"Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..."

"Um….uhh" She pointed to Ruby first

"You called me 'friend'!" Then, she pointed to Alex "And you called me 'mate', which is a synonym for friend!" She looked back at Ruby "Am I really your friend?"

Ruby looked at Alex, who shrugged, then to her team, who were motioning to deny her as a 'friend' "Uuuum...Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?" Then Penny turned her attention to Alex, waiting for his answer

"And what about you?" his teammates kept motioning 'No'.

"Uhh…..I guess, why…not?" their teammates comically faint, but Penny looks overjoyed and laughs and talks to Ruby

"Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" She looked towards the boy and pointed to him "Like him!" He just looked at her in a confused fashion.

"Wait, What?"

Ruby groans as she stands next to Weiss as she brushes herself off "Is this what it was like when you met me?"

"No, she seems far more coordinated."

Yang wanted to know why Penny was here,"So... what are you doing in Vale?"

"I'm here to fight in the tournament."That surprised Weiss, her attire telling all. "Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?"

Penny salutes "I'm combat ready!"

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part."

Blake just scoffsc"Says the girl wearing a dress…"

Weiss, annoyed retaliates "It's a combat skirt!" Ruby and Alexis speed over to either side of Weiss', both of them saying "Yeah!" Weiss holds out both her hands and they both low-five them.

Then, the realization hit her and grabbed Penny by the shoulder "Wait a minute, if you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed rapscallion?"

Penny just looked up, confusion running across her face "The who...?"Weiss holds up a poor drawing of the criminal-in-question.

Though before she could say anything, Alex interrupted her. "Weiss that is a terrible drawing."

Alexis also commented on it "2.2/10, must try harder"

Ignoring the comments, she asked Penny anyway "The filthy Faunus from the boat!"

"Why do you keep saying that?!"

"Huh?"

Blake walks over to Weiss, mood worsening by the second. "Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss releases Penny and motions to objects around her "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?""

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"

Blake growls at her, how can she make assumptions like that?! "You ignorant little brat!" Weiss looks offended, but when Blake walks away, she follows

"How dare you talk to me like that? I am your teammate!"

"You are a judgmental little girl."

"What in the world makes you say that?"

"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!"

Yang slides up to Ruby, who is next to Alexis, looking uncomfortable "Um, I think we should probably go..."

Penny pops up behind Alex, smiling and startling both him and Alexis "Where are we going?"

"What the hell?!"

"Ahh! What the Fuck!?"

Neither Weiss nor Blake notice as they continue their own argument.

"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" They continue to argue when the team decide to walk back to the airship, losing Penny in the process. The return ride was eerily silent, but once they got back to the dorm, it started back up again.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

"That is the problem!"

Weiss gets up from her bed "You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

Blake also gets on her feet as well "There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, people like Alex, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Everyone looked at her in surprise, then toward boy, whose face has a mix of shock and anger.

"People like me? What the hell did I do?"

"You left your laptop unplugged, so I plugged it back in and saw your latest designs for your company. And I read a little bit of the writing underneath"

His face went from shock to anger instantly. "How dare you snoop around MY private designs! I could have you arrested for that!" She just scoffed "Wait, what does that have to do anything with me being discriminatory?"

"I read the last sentence from the bottom, and how your company uses Faunus for experimentation." Yang, Ruby, and Alexis just stared at him. He was about to explain that part, but was interrupted by Weiss.

"Hello, forget him for a second, what do you mean people like me? I'm a victim!" Blake looks back at Weiss and they stare at each other down in silence. Weiss leans in close, speaking quietly "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" She walks and leans against the window "It's because they've been in war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed. An entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." Alex looked down, knowing about how "difficult" of a childhood Weiss had. Ruby went to comfort Weiss, she turned away and walked back to Blake.

"Weiss, I-"

"No! You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

That pushed Blake over the edge, and said something that she instantly regretted. "Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"

Silence drops down onto the dorm. A surprised Weiss backs away slowly, and Blake realizes her mistake as she looks around at her teammates. "I... I..." she dashes out the door. The brunette boy runs after her as Ruby yells from the doorway to the hall

"Blake, Alex, wait! Come back!" Yang sits herself down, worried about Blake and Weiss just looks down. Alexis also takes a seat at her bed as Ruby comes back in.

Blake runs outside and arrives at a statue of an armored man with a sword and a hooded woman wielding an axe on an outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in particular.

She closes her eyes and slowly lifts her arms up to her bow and pulls the string to release the bow from her hair. She wipes away a tear away as her Faunus ears are free from there prison. On the verge of crying, she becomes startled when she hears a voice behind her.

"I'm sure you'll kill me and leave me to die, but I will say this though, you look better without the bow on."

She turns around and looks up. Very pissed and upset at what she sees.

"What do you want?"

"Look, give me a chance to explain what you read in the technical notes, and in return you'll explain to me what that last comment you said was about."

"No! I know that all humans are liars! You're just like the rest of them! I had a little hope that you'll be the one who proves me wrong. The one that would show me otherwise. I even believed that when you saved Velvet from Cardin and his gang of idiots. I guess I was wrong." She began to walk away and was stopped by his arm grabbing hers.

"Blake, please listen. I don't know what you have been through, but you have to understand that not all humans are like that. I've known Weiss, and while she does harbor some hatred towards Faunus, that's what she's been drilled with from the start! Just-" he takes a breath before continuing "Just, let me explain myself at least. I won't force you to explain what that outburst was about, but you do deserve to know what you saw. I know you can't trust all humans, but let me at least try to gain yours…Please?"

* * *

Sunday Morning.

Ruby woke up, yawning in the process. She takes off her mask and looks over at Blake's empty bunk, then to Alex's bed, and groans sadly.

* * *

Sunday afternoon.

Ruby, Weiss, Alexis and Yang are walking through the empty streets of Val, looking for their missing teammates... Well Ruby, Alexis and Yang are. Weiss is just there because she was forced to. Ruby was the first to speak.

"They've been gone all weekend..."

Weiss rolls her eyes. "Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself! Same thing with Alex, he can handle anything that is thrown his way. He'll be fine." In truth, the fact that he was talking to a former terrorist, possibly discussing important matters scared her. Not just for her safety, or her family's, but his own as well.

"Weiss, come on, she's one of our teammates. And so is he!"

"Is she? We all heard what she said!"

"Weiss..."

Yang defended her partner instantly "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she and Alex are missing, and we need to find them!"

"A member of the White Fang! Right underneath our noses!"

Alexis spoke up, sick of Weiss constant complaining. "Look Weiss, once we find them, Blake will explain herself I assure you. But complaining isn't going to solve anything."

Weiss just said nothing. Ruby voiced her worry about her missing teammates "I just hope they're okay..."

* * *

Elsewhere

Blake is sipping a cup of tea and sighing. She looks up at Alex, who take a sip of his Soft Drink as he reclines back in his chair, crossing his arms. He takes another sip as she puts her cup down before speaking

"So, you want to know more about me, huh?..."

* * *

Hopefully you guys liked it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: A couple of things. First, is that I will be revising my previous chapters. When I say that, I mean the way I worded things. Not the storyline that I have somewhat plotted out in my head. Hopefully this will make it easier for some to follow along. Some chapters may also have extra scenes if I believe they should have or just for comical relieve. More notes will be at the end.

* * *

Chapter 8

Sunday Afternoon.

Blake and Alex are sitting outside a small café. Blake is drinking some tea, while Alex bought a Dr. Fizzle. As they were outside, they just looked around at the people who were either walking around or shopping, Blake was lost in thought.

While they boarded an airship to Vale on Friday, neither of them said a word. With the exception of a little small talk here or there, nothing of any significance was said during the trip. She did watch curiously as Alex rubbed around where his watch is, possibly just chafing or something and thought nothing of it.

Since they had nowhere to go, Alex somewhat persuaded Blake to allow them to stay in a hotel, at least for the night. Somehow, she agreed to it and besides the fact that it was nice, she still kept an eye on him. The little trust she had in him, the little faith she had that humans weren't liars wasn't completely gone but it was being strained to its breaking point.

Saturday wasn't to exciting either. They had decided to at least lessen the tension with a little more small talk and him inviting her for some lunch and dinner at different restaurants, much to her displeasure. This was probably his plan, just act nice and BS your way out. Her time in the White Fang had hardened her to this.

A small hum from across the table brought her back to the present. He was humming a small tune to himself. It sounded like something she had heard before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Eventually during dinner, she agreed to disclose a bit of her past in order for an explanation of the MKULTRA Project.

"So, you want to know more about me...And in return, you will explain yourself, yes?"

Alex had taken a sip of his drink with a bit of humor in his eyes. "Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and despite my kind gestures, you gave me nothing but small talk and some weird looks!" Blake gave him a hard look before he continued "Yeah, just like that! But to answer your question, yes, yes I will"

Blake just rolled her eyes, despite the tension between the two, he could still try to sprinkle in some humor.

She was trying to find a way to explain what she was about to say to him in her head. A small part of her was afraid that he would turn her in, or make her flee Beacon. The reason she was enrolled at Beacon was to escape all this, yet here she is, with a CEO of a major corporation who has the power to track her down and prosecute her, and was about to talk about her not so innocent past with him. She took a breath and closed her eyes, before she opened them back up and looked at him sadly.

"Alex... Are you familiar with the White Fang?"

Alex looked at her with in surprise, surely this has nothing to do with this right? He decides not to pry too hard.

"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus or Human on the planet who hasn't heard of them. I understand their cause, equality for Faunus. Equal pay for the same jobs humans have, Equal rights, Equal healthcare, hell even equal bathrooms! What I don't understand is the way they are running things. Surely, if you ask me, the way the White Fang is running things is the main reason discrimination has gotten worse over the past couple of years!"

Blake listened to what he was saying, skeptical of how he said what he said. She noticed howhe didn't use anything like "Animal" or any other slur.. He addressed the subject in a calm, collected, and somewhat rational fashion. As he finished, she decided that this was a good opportunity, so she took another breath and dropped the bombshell

"I was once a member of the White Fang."

Alex was sipping on his drink when she dropped that information, and began to choke on his drink, making him put it down and wipe his mouth as he holds up a hand to process this information. Making sure no one was listening, he spoke in a loud whisper. "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?!"

"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..." As she begins to tell her story, Alex tries his best to imagine it…

* * *

There are weapons plunged into the ground - swords, guns, any number of combinations.

"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus."

There is an audience, the dark outlines of two trios are shown on top of a podium - animal-eared and tailed Faunus on one side, regular Humans on the other - shaking hands and making does not last long, as seen when a Faunus cowers in fear at the aggressors harassing her. Later, more Faunus are pushing the crowd away from their abused brethren.

"Of course, despite being promised equality, Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. So, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there."

He imagined the silhouettes of Faunus protestors, and a young girl with dark hair and cat ears protesting alongside them.

"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

A blue flag of a white wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head is lowered, and raised in its stead is a red monster with three bloody scratches and teeth bared at the world.

"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking."

He see's series of images - Faunus replacing their picket signs with axes and blades, windows being broken, thieves leaping on trains to steal their cargo.

"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."

* * *

"So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid their violence. Instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am. A criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." she wiggles her cat ears beneath the bow.

Alex was listening intently, absorbing the information she had just shared. "Right, you haven't told anyone about this right?"

Blake merely looks down in shame and shakes her head.

* * *

"Blaaaake!"

"Blaaaake!"

Ruby, Yang, Alexis, and Weiss walking through town and calling in vain for their missing teammates.

"Blaaaaaaaake! Where aaaare yoooouuuu!?"

"Aleeeeeeeeeeeex!"

"Alex! Olly olly oxen free!"

Ruby turned to Weiss, who is doing nothing proactive to help find their missing teammates. "Weiiiiss, you're not helping!"

Weiss just huffs and crossed her arms. She did not have to be doing this at all!

"Oh! You know what might be able to help? The police!"

Both Ruby and Alexis crossed their arms, with Alexis just shaking her head in her hand in frustration, and Ruby groaning at Weiss. "Ugh, Weiss..."

"It was just an idea!"

"Yeah, a bad one."

Yang walked next to Ruby and Alexis, and tried to get Weiss to give Blake a fair chance. "Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions." Weiss wasn't in the mood for this.

"I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right!"

Penny suddenly pops literally out of nowhere, scaring the group. "And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today!" Ruby screams in as she popped up

"Aaaah! Penny! Where did you come from!?"

Penny ignores the question cheerfully, before asking her own question. "Hey guys! What are you up to?"

Ruby was confused."Uhh..." Yang answered Penny, who was staring at her…

"We're looking for our friends, Blake and Alex." This confused Penny "Alex?" Yang clarified before she asked anymore questions. "Alex." That caught Penny's Attention.

"Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl and her boyfriend!"

Ruby, Weiss, Alexis and Yang stare at Penny. Faunus? Boyfriend?! What?

"Penny, what do you mean ?" Alexis asked, trying not to sound panicked. Yang just chuckled at how Alexis ignored the very important part of what Penny just said.

"Isn't it obvious? The way they don't speak to each other, the look she give him when he moves, the look of hatred in her eyes as she speaks about him! It's romantic!" Alexis and Weiss blink before them both facepalmed…Really?

Ruby just side stepped that little…thing before asking about Blake.

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"Uhh, the cat ears?" Ruby nods, and Penny simply points to her head.

Yang laughs a little at Penny before the realization hits her. "What cat ears? She wears a... boooohhh..." That realization leaves them in silence as a tumbleweed blows through in the wind. Ruby was the first to break the silence

"She does like tuna a lot..."

"So, where is she?"

Ruby sighed as she answered Penny. "We don't know. They've been missing since Friday."

Penny gasped "That's terrible!" and approaches an uncomfortable Ruby "Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammates!" Ruby does her best to continue smiling

"Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?"

She looks over Penny to direct her question at Yang, Alexis and Weiss, who's blinking outlines are all that's left of their sudden departure. A tumbleweed blows past them again.

"It sure is windy today!"

* * *

Alex and Blake are walking down a somewhat empty street. They are both talking about the robbery from Friday. "So, what's the plan now?"

Blake is contemplating about the dust robberies, hoping the White Fang didn't have anything to do with that. "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind the robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."

Alex's eyes widen before he explains his theory to her "What if they do now?" he lifts his arms, trying to keep her calm as he continues to explain "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?" Blake nods in acknowledgement. She sees him beam a little, thinking that he did well for now. Unfortunately, she doesn't know where that 'place' is.

"The problem with that is that I have no idea where that would be." She turns to face him, as he smiles a little, taking out his scroll and waving it around her.

"Well, I do run a multi-billion Lien corporation, and the Schnee Dust Corporation is my main competitor, and I may have received some Intel on a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

Blake's eyes widen at this information "How huge?"

"Huge. Big Schnee Company freighter. Millions of Lien worth of it."

"You're sure?"

He simply waved his scroll.

* * *

City of Vale

Yang stepsout of a shop with Weiss, waving to the person inside "Thanks anyways!" she sighs "This is hopeless." She looks to Weiss, who is looking around nonchalantly"You really don't care if we find her, do you?""

"Don't be stupid; of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." She walks ahead of Yang before calling out over her shoulder "The innocent never run, Yang!"

Yang just looks down in thought. Blake isn't the bad guy...

Right?

* * *

Meanwhile…

Both Penny and Ruby are walking around, with Penny asking Ruby questions about Blake and Alex. Not wanting to be rude, she answers them as best she can.

"So, Blake is your friend?"

Ruby sighs as they make their way down the sidewalk "Yes, Penny."

"But you're mad at her?"

Ruby answers and corrects her. "Yes. Well, I'm not. Weiss is."

"Is she friends with Blake?"

"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now..."

Penny is trying to grasp this, but can't "Why?"

Ruby sighs again, she is going to punish her team for deserting her with Penny "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we though she was..."

Penny's eyes widen as she gasps "Is she-" she looks to her left and right "-a man?"

"No! No, Penny. She's..." she stops and sighs, looking at Penny as she talks "I don't know what she is. She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."

Penny looked down at her"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things."

Ruby turns her gaze downward sadly, wishing that Blake had talked to them at least."Me too"

* * *

Vale Dockyard.

Amidst the chirping of crickets and darkness of night, Blake lays flat on her stomach on the rooftop overlooking the shipment of Schnee Dust containers. Alex had went to the bathroom, but that was 10 minutes ago and Blake began to worry. She heard footsteps and turned to see him, along with some food, water, and gum.

"Did I miss anything?"

Blake looks up as at him as he drops down to her. "Not really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Fair Enough then." He holds out one of the bags of chips in his arms to her "I got you some food!"

Blake gives him a questioning look. Of all times to be hungry, he chose now? "Do you always think about food?"

"Weren't you in a cult or something?" she delivers an angry glare and punches him in the shoulder. "OW! Okay, too soon!"

Just as he says this, the winds blows all around them, they look up to see an Aircrafts's searchlights flashing around for a landing spot, descends in the middle of the cargo containers and extends a ramp for a black hooded individual with a metallic fanged mask to come out of.

"Oh no..."

Alex looked at her as he asked "Is that them?"

Blake stares at the bloody wolf on the back of the man's outfit as she answers him, hoping that it indeed wasn't them "Yes... It's them."

As White Fang Soldier walks out of the aircraft he motions to the other members with his rifles "All right, grab the tow cables!" Alex wasn't very surprised at the scene unfolding, but surely Blake would have known, right?

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?"

Blake stared sadly at what she sees. "No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right." she closes her eyes, only to open them suddenly when she hears a new voice. A man with orange hair, a top hat and a cane comes out of the airship, walking down the ramp gesturing wildly.

"Hey! What's the holdup? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" Alex recognized the man. He was the person who escaped from that robbery in Atlas a few months ago. Blake was shocked at the scene that develops before her. The White Fang would never work with any humans.

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Blake stands up and unsheathes the katana of Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the roof. Alex, alarmed, called after her

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Ignoring his call, Blake falls to the ground in a crouch, then continues on to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see the Orange haired man berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!"

"I-im sorry Mr. Roman sir!

That's Mr. Torchwick to you-" as he's looking around, Blake suddenly appears behind him with her blade at his throat "What the- Oh, for f-" he rolls his eyes when he's cut off by Blake mid-sentance

"Nobody move!" The White Fang soldiers ready their guns and equip their swords in response. Roman speaks to Blake, only agitating her further.

"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." As the White Fang closes in on her, Blake uses her free hand to go for her bow and remove it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears are shown to the world.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" The White Fang members lower their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do, when he laughs.

"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!"

Blake was furious, did The White Fang sell out? "Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." Suddenly, the air is filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup. Roman looks up, seeing the second aircraft in the air.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation..."

Two more aircraft are hovering above the heist, and as Blake watches in horror, Roman smiles and manages to fire his cane at Blake's feet, resulting in a large explosion.

Back in the city, Penny and Ruby turn around upon hearing the noise, seeing the smoke rise from the docking bay just a few buildings away.

"Oh, no..."

Blake, who was dazed but unhurt on the ground, quickly rolls and runs out of the way of Roman's continued attacks, flaming missiles destroying cargo behind her as she hides behind more containers.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." his taunt is interrupted when a small bag of mixed vegetables hits him on the head, causing him to look up and growl at the assailant. Alex jumps from the container above Roman and drops down on the criminal's head feet-first, causing Roman to fall. He falls into his fight stance, left arm forward and right arm near his face. The bezel on hiw watch begins to spin rapidly, changing colors as it does so.

"Oi! Leave her alone!"

The aircrafts open to let more White Fang members drop, standing by Roman as he gets up and they surround him and the brunette. Roman fixes his hat and looks towards him, remembering him from that Robbery. And how he single handedly foiled his "funding".

"Well, if it isn't the person who single handedly stopped me. You remember that, don't you?" He says nothing as Roman keeps going. "Alright then kid, prepare to meet your fate"

With that said, the White Fang charge at him, but he manages to dodge and get some cheap shots on the soldiers with some weak punches and kicks until he rolls out of the way.

The Ring on his watch begins to spin faster as it changes color fast, before the light begins to glow brighter. As that is happening, the top half lifts as the ring spins even faster, revealing the fragile circuitry and motherboard for a split second before it begins to extend and encompass his entire forearm. Gloves begin to manifest themselves around both his hands as the watch transforms into something resembling a gauntlet with a screen.

He begins to punch his attackers, each of them receiving an electrical shock the stuns them, before he finishes them off. He uses this tactic to beat down on each opponent that nears him, dropping most of them in a single blow, As three approach them, he gets into a little groove and begins to hit a combination of punches and kicks, along with small blasts of electricity that eventually creates an electrical shockwave to beat the last of them.

Blake peers around the corner of the container to watch Alex beat more Soldiers, causing one to fly over Roman's head, twitching as he loses consciousness. Torchwick growls in annoyance and aims his cane at him, firing a shot that he was able to block with some invisiable shield.

"He's mine!" Blake goes in close and becomes a blur of afterimages as she slashes both blades at Roman, who backs away and deflects each blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continues to dash, hop over, and slide around Roman to try and find a weak spot, but as he barely deflected the attacks, he lands a few hits on Blake until one final beating with his cane causes her to go down.

Just as Roman deals with her, Alex appears right behind her and cracks his knuckles. That allowed a replica of the glove on his left hand to form on his right. He then swings at Roma.

Despite the combination of punches and kicks that he delivers, Roman manages to defend himself against every hit, until a second-long pause that allows Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.

On his back, Roman notices a container hanging by a crane right above the two, and gets up to fire his cane at its supports. Blake leaps behind it, but Alex dashes forward with a small burst of air coming out from the bottom of his shoes and barely misses when he boosted forward, ending up right below the nozzle of Roman's cane. Just as he's about to fire, Roman and Alex's attention are drawn to a familiar voice.

"Hey!" Ruby appears on the rooftop overlooking them, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action.

Roman loses interest in Alex and waves to Ruby "Well, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime? Or are you hear to save your little boyfriendcover here?" As he finished, he grabs Alex by the collar and swings his cane, the force of the blow sending him back a little.

Penny approaches Ruby as she looks down at Roman "Ruby, are these people your friends?"

Ruby yells at Penny, warning her to watch out "Penny, get back!" While her attention is diverted to Penny, Roman snarls and aims for Ruby with his cane. Alex had gotten back up and saw where he was aiming, immediately dashing forwards as Roman fires his cane. He took the hit and was launched back, hitting a lamp post before falling to the ground. The lamp post collapses as the the gloves and arm guard evaporate and his watch reassembles itself as a watch again.

Roman blinks before he gives off a professional-level evil laugh at his redirected attack. Penny turns her head toward the criminal and gives him a first glare, walking forward while Ruby looks on in shock, and Alex tries to get back up.

"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby tries to stop her but she raises her hand and responds to Ruby

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm combat ready!"

Her backpack opens up mechanically, and out comes a single sword that extends and multiplies into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sends three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she flings the swords at one soldier, impales another to a wall, creates a barrier of spinning steel against someone who runs towards her, leaps over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she throws to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.

Alex observes the spectacle in amazement "Whoa! I have seen some shit today!" he gets up and keeps watching.

Three Aircraft come from the skies and open fire on the battle, but Penny merely forms a shield and launches two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pulls hrt back with their strings. When her swords swirl around her again, she commands them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light. With a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when they fire at the transports and slice each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as that particular Aircraft falls to pieces behind her.

Stunned, she turns back to Penny as she aims her swords at the remaining aircraft, holding the crate of Dust and pulls back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them. Ruby and Alex are just watching in awe.

"Whoa... How is she doing that?"

Seeing the transport aircrafts flight fall under Penny's control, Roman grimaces and turns to run towards the last transport.

Penny, after her large pupils dilate for a second, pulls on the strings, and the aircraft crashes into a stack of crates, causing an explosion as a result.

Roman watches from the safety of his escape "These kids just keep getting weirder..." he uses his cane to close the doors, and the jet lifts off, flying away from the battle.

* * *

Aftermath

Later, a handful of police cars are at the docks, Ruby, Blake, and Penny are sitting on boxes in silence. Alex is also sitting down, running minor Diagnostics on his weapon. That is, until Weiss, Yang and Alexis appear. Ruby speaks quickly, trying to explain the situation

"Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..." Weiss silences her with a finger and goes up to Blake.

Blake calmly looks at her before trying to explain herself, only to be stopped. "Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"

"Stop! Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you? Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."

Yang, Alexis, and Ruby look on, worried. Meanwhile, finishing his minor diagnostic, Alex just crosses his arm, with a smug smirk on his face as Weiss continues.

"I don't care."

Blake was surprised "You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"

Weiss silences her in a humorous, albeit childish fashion. "Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah! I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to ALL your teammates. And not just..." she looks at Alex behind her, with his smug smirk still intact, as she catches herself "one person."

Blake looks at Ruby, Alexis, and Yang all grinning at her, she wipes a tear from her eye, nodding "Of course."

Weiss smiles and nods. The moment is serious for a second more until Ruby screams, waving her arms wildly "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

As the six gather with each other, she then points accusingly at Alex "And YOU!" That instantly wiped the smile from his face, and replaced it with a look of fear. "How dare you run off like that! Alexis and I were worried! Yang not so much. But still!" she received an indignant "Hey!" from Yang. He turns towards Alexis, and finds her with a look that could indeed kill him. He laughs nervously, whistling nonchalantly, and looking away. Ruby, meanwhile, looks around and notices someone missing.

"Hey, wait a minute... Where's Penny?"

* * *

From the darkened back seat of a limo, Penny watches the group of friends reuniting with each other.

"Penny, you should know better than to go running around in a strange city."

Penny lowers her head, sadly "I know, sir."

"Penny, don't worry, your time will come..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Beacon, Ozpin is seen holding a scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Team RWBY at the docks. He closes the video and opens up a communication with Qrow, whose team name and other information is left blank and his only message is: "QUEEN HAS PAWNS."

"Hmmm..."

* * *

Roman walks into a large warehouse with a dark, shadowy interior. He goes over to a table and places down a case of mysterious contents, and sighs. The voice of a female garners his attention

"How very disappointing, Roman."

Roman turns around suddenly when he hears the voice and their noisy entrance. "Whoa! Cinder! Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..."

Three figures walk up to Roman, one of which has yellow eyes and flowing dark hair "We were expecting... more from you."

Roman laughs a little before getting serious "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang."

"And you will continue to do so." She summons a fireball in her hand and steps out of the darkness with the other two in tow, a purple-haired man and a mint-haired, tanned woman. Cinder's eyes begin to glow gold "We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is... a little cooperation."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

The Dock's

"Alright then, now that that's all cleared up, back to Beacon!" Ruby started on her way back before she was stopped by Weiss

"Ruby….it's this way" Ruby turned around, mumbling an apology as she walked the other way with her head down. Chatting amongst each other, with yelling occurring, soon they were at the Vale AirDock. While the other's got the tickets, Blake and Alex were just standing there. Blake just standing there and Alex was checking his watch for any damage that I may have occurred in the fight.

"Alex?" He looked up with raised eyebrow, wondering if he was in trouble. Weiss had yelled at him for about twenty minutes on the way, with Yang and Ruby lecturing him about running off and not contacting anyone. Alexis…She was fuming. She didn't say a word to him or even acknowledged his presence

"Yes? How may I help you?" Blake just rolled her eye, but couldn't hold back a small smile.

"You do realize you have to explain yourself, Right?" He just sighed, it's not that he wasn't going to anyway. He doesn't like to be reminded every time about the same thing over and over.

"Yes" He drawled. "Once we get back, I'll explain."

The rest of Team RWBY had comeback with them all having their tickets. Yang had bought Blake's ticket, claiming it was a "Peace offering". Blake had laughed at that. Alex had noticed that Yang was acting different around Blake. He just filed that under "should-ask-but-oh-well". Noticing that he still needed to buy his own, he made it to the terminal and tapped his scroll to the machine. Students at Beacon received free Transportation using the Airships with a tap of their scrolls on the pad. The ticket printed and he made his way to the terminal, not waiting for the others. He was so deep in thought that he ran into someone's back. Mumbling an apology, he made his way to his seat and the rest of the team joined. Alexis had decided to not sit next to him and opted for a small one seat on the other side of the isle, next to the windows. Yang had obviously seen him as he looked down sadly, but said nothing.

As the Airship landed, Alex was still awake. He was just staring at his Watch, thinking about the Weapon's manufacturing room he found earlier, aside from other things. Across from him, he noticed that Blake had nodded off on Yang's shoulder, and Ruby had nodded off on Weiss shoulder. Weiss herself was awake and didn't seem to mind Ruby sleeping on her…Until she noticed that Ruby was drooling, after which she shook Ruby very violently.

"Wake up you dolt! You're Drooling on me!" Ruby shot up awake.

"What! Oh, hey Weiss." She sighed, why did she let Ruby sleep on her shoulder?

"Come on, let's go back to the dorms, where you can drool on your own pillow." Yang had gently woken up Blake from her slumber. Alex got up and noticed that Alexis had fallen asleep in an awkward angle, and knew she would have some neck pain tomorrow.

"Lex. Lex, wake up." Shaking her gently, he was able to wake her up. She noticed that everyone had gotten off except her and Alex. Silently thanking him, she speed walked to catch up with the rest of the group, leaving him behind. Sighing, he walked out and despite being behind his team by a significant margin. He eventually did get to the dorm, though he was surprised once he walked in.

"Alright Alex, Blake said that you would explain what pissed her off. So spill." Yang was blunt about almost everything. Sighing, he grabbed his laptop and sat down on the table. Everyone had gathered around the table and was listening.

"Alright Blake, show me the part that you read" She scrolled through the notes until she found the paragraph, before sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms with a frown.

"Ok, so...-" he skimmed through the paragraph notes and what note, mumbling before finding a specific paragraph. "I can see how you would think that I'm the person ordering these experiments to be done. Jesus, the wording on this document is terrible. Anyway, unfortunatly the PNC didn't exactly have the...best...person to lead. My predesscesor was very racist and anti-faunus and blah so this was basically put into place to try to have somekind of "Final Solution to the Faunus Question'." He poointed to the

"Alright, questions?" Blake raised her hand instantly, still not convinced entirely.

"Alright, first what is a 'PPG Sensor' and 'ImageSense'? And why not include them in First Run Units?" Oh how he wished they knew how everything worked in the tech business…

"The PPG sensor is the Heart Monitor and Human Monitoring Sensor. That's how humans manage their Aura. The ImageSense sensor is what is needed so that Faunus receive that Aura monitoring feature. Basically, ImageSense monitors the unique parts that make up a Faunus. An example is Ears, Tail, gills if applicable, etc. It automatically detects whether you are a human or Faunus when you first turn on the device. The same way the scrolls do. Don't worry though, that information is kept on the device. If anyone wants that information, they need to literally have your scroll to get access tothat. As for the question "Why don't just use the PPG sensor only?" The PPG sensor was not made to do that and was never updated to. I will work on that in order to prevent this, but it won't happen for some time." Blake nods, not entirely believing him, but giving him the benefit of the doubt. If that makes any sense. Weiss asked her question confused how he couldn't do it, but the SDC could.

"I don't understand, Schnee Dust Corporation can do it, why can't you?"

"Weiss, I don't use any dust in my products. Or at least most, that's why." The reason he corrected himself was because the device on his wrist technically used dust. But it still used it, so it counted. Weiss nodded, understanding the situation. Yang and Ruby had listened as well, but didn't have any questions. When he looked to Alexis, all that pent up anger was ejected in the form of a simple question.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, why didn't you tell us where you two were at?!" Yang and Ruby looked up at her, worried. Weiss and Blake just stared at her.

"Simple, none of you ever called…or texted for that matter." Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and Alexis eyes widened, not expecting that answer. "Also, I am about 99% sure that Blake was afraid of what Weiss would have said at the time. She wasn't exactly in the right mindset." That elicited a "Hey!' from Weiss, who just huffed and crossed her arms. Alex's eyes then widened when it hit him, Alexis had spoken to him for the first time that night.

"Finally, she speaks! Hours of glares and the silent treatment and the weird look!" Alexis gave him a hard look "Just like that!" And then she punched him in the shoulder…hard.

"WHY IS EVERONE HITTING MY ARM? IT HAS FEELINGS TOO!" He rubbed it, trying to ease the pain as he noticed her Frown slowly twitch into a smile as he said that. She proceeded to grab him into a very tight hug, one that could rival Yang's. He heard his back crack in multiple places and the air being literally squeezed out of him.

"Lex….Can't….breathe…..Air….Need" She loosened the hug, and he returned the embrace as she whispered something into his ear.

"Don't ever leave like that again, Ok? Please?" The way she had somewhat begged is what made him agree.

"Sure, but at least try to contact me before giving me the silent treatment? It isn't fair that I get blamed when no one called…" She nodded into his shoulder. They stayed like that for a bit until someone behind them cleared her throat.

"Ahem" They pull out of the embrace and saw Yang smirking. That caused both of them to blush at the awkwardness of the situation. Eventually they all got ready and went to bed.

* * *

Professor Port's Class

"Please take out your Number 115 Pencils. Hopefully you study and paid attention to my lectures, as everything I have said will be on this examination." Alexis smirked, she knew there would be questions from his stories. Next to her, Alex was just staring at the Professor as he started to pass out the exams with his arms crossed. Once he got it, he started to look through it. As he went through the pages, he started to smirk, there was no questions on any of his stories. As he examined the last page, his small smirk was oozing smugness everywhere. He turned slightly towards Alexis, who had conveniently placed her head in her hands, knowing she had lost. Eventually, they both did start actually doing the exam.

Weiss was the first out of everyone to finish, with Alex finishing as soon as she got up to turn it in. As they both walked up, they noticed Ruby and Yang were also done, and Blake was finishing as well. Alexis was the last to finish and turn hers in. While they had to wait for everyone else, they decided to do other things to preoccupy themselves while they waited. Weiss decided to take out a text book and study, presumably for the next test or something, Ruby was doodling something on a piece of paper, Yang had fallen asleep, Blake was reading a book, Alexis was playing a game on her scroll and Alex was folding some pieces of paper. Alexis noticed that and instead of tapping the screen to keep the Nevermore flying, she watched as he folded several pieces of paper. Yang had woken up and looked at Alexis, who still was preoccupied with watching Alex fold paper, before Yang whispered to her

"You know, just watching his hands move like that isn't going to get them to do that to you." Alexis, not wanting to cause a scene, blushed a deep red before letting her head hit the desk. That caught Alex's attention.

"Lex, you alright?" Nodding into the desk, he shrugged before he went back to his project. Since he technically won the bet, a first for him, he decided to allow his smug side come out for a little bit…Just a little bit. What he was doing was making a paper mold of a small briefcase that he will eventually make a metal version of later. After about half an hour of concentration, having to bin three different versions, and needing to go to the bathroom, he finished the paper "prototype". Ruby and Weiss had noticed him basking in the brilliance of something. Ruby tool the liberty of asking for both her and Weiss.

"Alex? What are you doing?" He immediately stopped basking in his brilliance, scratching his head sheepishly

"Uhh…Nothing?" Ruby, not believing him, took the small briefcase.

"Why did you make this?"

"Because I can, now give it back!" Shrugging, she tossed it back. He proceeded to cradle it, like one would with a small child. Rolling her eyes, Ruby went back to drawing.

Weiss noticed her drawing, but didn't say anything. She watched as Ruby concentrated, how her face contorted into a face of someone who is giving it their all. She noticed how her brow creased and how her tongue stuck out a bit. 'She does look while doing that. Wait!? What am I saying? I mean, is it normal for partners to think about each other like this? She does look good in her uniform I mean- STOP!' She shook those thoughts out of her head, then noticed the drawings. It was one of the Team. More Specifically, in pairs, such as Blake and Yang, and Alex and Alexis. They weren't bad either, but she noticed the last pairing. It seemed Ruby was putting more effort into the two of them than the others. Ruby then turned around and noticed Weiss watching her draw and quickly hid the picture, praying to every deity that she didn't notice the extra things she was drawing.

"H-hey Weiss. It's not what it looks like." She raised an Eyebrow….Really?

"So you didn't just draw us with our partners then?"

"Yeah, I mean-"

"Ruby, it looks good. Your drawings aren't bad. You have a really good eye for it." Ruby smiled at Weiss compliment. It was a genuine compliment. "Though, would you mind if I see them?" Ruby shook her head violently, making her hair move side to side.

"Why not?"

"It's a Surprise!" That part was true. Once she eventually finished, then she would show it to her team. Weiss just huffed and went back to studying. Eventually, the class ended and Blake had to wake Yang back up. Professor Port then made a small announcement to the class.

"Before you all leave, Professor Glynda Goodwitch has passed information on to me. She has informed me that everyone is to go to the Auditorium after Lunch. The Reason for this is because drawing for the Vytal festival is about to begin!" Everyone began speculating how this would happen, apparently they were starting the Qualifiers early to compensate for the extra transfer students. Beacon received a lot more than they usually do around this time. Everyone eventually went to lunch. Minus Ruby and Alex.

* * *

The Cafeteria

In the Beacon Academy cafeteria, Team RWBY are sitting together as Blake looks over some notes. These include the White Fang insignia, a picture of a Faunus with Horns, and possibly his emblem. Yang then slides up next to her partner.

"Whatcha doing?" Startling Blake, she closes her book.

"Nothing. Just going over notes." Nora flings a grape and Yang catches it in her mouth.

"Lame." Nora giggles as she continues to toss grapes at Yang with a spoon. Yang catches the fruit easily and gives Nora a thumbs up. Ruby, giving an enormous heave, slams a binder onto the table, catching everyone off guard. On the cover of the binder is written "Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee." This has been hastily crossed out with a red marker pen, and with the same pen, a new title, "Best Day Ever Activities", has been written underneath. Alex appears not too far behind, with something clearly rectangular in his Backpack. Before anyone asks, Ruby clears her throat.

"Ahem. Sisters... friends... Weiss."

"Hey!" Ruby ignores Weiss indignant cry and continues with her speech

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream."

Yang catches another berry in her mouth, before saying "This ought to be good."

"A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!" Weiss notices the scribbling and her name on the binder. Alexis also notices that the pen Ruby is using has her emblem on it

"Did you steal my binder?"

"And is that my pen?"

Ruby makes a 'peace' signs with both hands "I am not a crook." Both Alex and Blake are confused about what Ruby is talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

"Really Ruby, what are you going on about?"

"I'm talking about kicking off the Year with a bang!" She points her both her fingers at Blake and Alex. Yang, seeing the opportunity, goes for it,

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Alex just face palmed

"God Damn it Yang." An apple then hits her in the face. She glares at the person who threw it, who happened to be Nora, and she was jeering her and her pun.

"Boooooooooooooooo!"

Ruby keeps going "Look guys, it's been sometime and a half and between exchange students arriving, qualifying for the Tournament and the tournament itself later on, this semester is going to be great! But, we are going to have really tough classes and less time to spend with each other as time goes on! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us." Weiss and Alex look at Ruby in surprise.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store."

"A bit of both Weiss…A Bit of Both…" he responds, noting the stare off between Yang and Nora

Yang, still glaring at Nora, picks up the apple and tosses it across the room. The apple proceeds to hit someone else in the back of the head, eliciting a "Hey!" Nora then starts to giggle at her.

Blake isn't too confident about Ruby's plans. "I don't know. I think I might sit this one out."

"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss begins, Nora Screams "I got it!" as Ren tries to stop Nora from throwing two Pies, but fails.

"I for one think that..." she is interrupted by a pie landing on her face. Meanwhile, to her right, Alexis face is also covers by a pie.

Nora is shown to be the one who threw the pie, she sits down and points at Ren who has his head in his palm. Pyrrha's hand is over her mouth and Jaune simply sits staring wide-eyed. In the back, a Student shouts "Food fight!"

Weiss retaliates from the pie, throwing her milk at Nora but hitting Ren instead. Ren throws his bowl at Ruby, who ducks but throws her bowl and hits Juane. Yang throws a couple of apples, which hit Pyrrha. In return the Warrior then throws her drink at Yang, but ends up targeting Alexis, who was cleaning up. Alexis grabs her milk and chucks it at Pyrrah, but hits Nora, who had thrown her meatloaf at Yang but because she was hit as she go, that hit Alex.

Things escalated quickly after that. At one point, Juane ends up being tossed and hits a window, startling some students who are outside including a Blue Haired boy and his Monkey Faunus friend. Team JNPR begins to build a fortress-castle thing out of the Tables, with Nora being at the top and laughing maniacally

"Ahahahaha!" Team JNPR are standing on the levels that make up the tower of stacked tables. Nora is on top, with Pyrrah on the second level, and Juane and Ren occupying the third and fourth levels respectively. Nora then mocks Team RWBY in a sing-song voice.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

Ruby stomps her foot on a table and points at Team JNPR "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! She crushes a carton of milk in her hand "It will be delicious!" Team RWBY raise their fists simultaneously.

"Yeah!"

Nora gets serious at this point before jumping down, and beginning the real food fight. "Off with their heads!" The Hammerwielding girl gestures with her thumb slicing across her neck.

Ruby takes her leader position and gives orders to Yang. "Yang! Turkeys!"

Ren flips over a table of watermelons before JNPR begin to toss them against Team RWBY. Yang rolls over to the turkeys and sticks her fists inside them, proceeding to block and punch the melons as they speed toward her, then throws the turkeys at Jaune. Blake grabs two Baguettes and begins fighting Pyrrah, who also has a Baguette.

Pyrrah gains the upper hand as she breaks Blake's weapon and sends her flying back, and throws her Baguette at Yang, who manages to kick one of them but gets hit by another one. The impact knocks her back and she slides across the table. Alexis begins to fight with Juane, who unfortunately could only find a broken baguette. She broke off a piece of the wooden table and stuck a small metal rod that was on the floor to the side without sharp splinters, making a makeshift and very ghetto armguard-saw-thing with a handle. As Jaune tries to hold her back, Pyrrah sees him in trouble and throws a watermelon at Alexis side swiping her and thrown away from the action.

Alex was in a hand to hand combat situation with Ren before Nora throws mustard bombs, exploding everywhere and sending him back. Ruby grabs a tray and surfs the tables, blocking a baguette that Pyrrah throws at her before continuing her powerslide on the table. She lands on Pyrrah, she blocks but Ruby pushes up and knocks her back. Ren and Nora go on the offensive as Ruby falls back and allows Weiss to squirt ketchup on the ground in a spectacular fashion, causing Ren to slip and crash into a pile of tables.

Nora jumps over the tables as they are in the air and grabs onto a metal pole, which she then uses to grab onto a watermelon to create a fruit hammer. As she goes for Weiss, Ruby gets in front, takes the hit and is sent back flying. Weiss grabs a sword fish and begins to go at it with Nora's Watermelon Hammer. Alex had gotten up, and was instantly back into the fight as Ren grabbed some celery sticks and made him go on the defensive. Landing a few hits, he sent Ren back as Pyrrah jumped over him and shoulder checked him hard, sending him back into some tables and into Alexis, who was getting back up.

Weiss and Nora are still going at it when a strong hit from Nora knocks her off balance, and capitalizes as she smacks Weiss hard enough to send her into a pillar with enough force to cause it to collapse. Ruby sees this and taps into her semblance to catch Weiss as she falls.

As the pillar collapses around them, Ruby holds her in her arms, screaming. "Weiss, Weiss! Don't leave me! Nooo!" Weiss obviously wasn't dead, but did smile at Ruby's acting.

Yang and Alex go back on the offensive as Yang grabbed her turkeys and went against Ren with his celery sticks. Alex was barely able to block a few more watermelons that Nora threw at him, his watch activating and providing a small barrier that the fruit hit. Yang tries to kick Ren, but blocks it with the celery sticks. As they fight on, Yang gains the upper hand and hands Ren an Uppercut that makes him go airbourne. Ren's agility came into play as he flipped and threw more celery sticks at Yang. Yang dodged them and went airbourne, landing a hard hit on Ren from behind, sending him back into more tables.

Alex and Nora were in an even match, as he landed some hits and despite Nora hitting him with the Hammer, he was able to block a few and dodge some hits as well. As Nora tried again, Alex delivered a kick at the right time that hit the hammer mid swing and caused it to return-to-sender and hit Nora, who was sent back. Nora saw Ren down and instead focused her attention at Yang, who followed suit.

Soon the two were exchanging blows, but a miscalculated punch allowed Nora an open opportunity and hit Yang, causing her to go through the Roof and into the heavens. In the Air, Yang looked around at how high she was, and she swore she could see their little cabin from here.

Blake had gotten up and grabbed sausages. Using that, she was able to whip Nora back against the Vending machines, causing them to eject out cans of soda that were about to burst.

Nora meanwhile used MelonHammer to launch a few more watermelons at RWBY. Alexis was slowly getting up and didn't notice that one of the large fruits was coming her way. Alex was able to get to her in time and using his Grifball skills acted as some sort of keeper, blocking the melons from hitting his blonde partner. That included a spectacular dive to save a watermelon that had a curve to it.

Using the watermelons he just saved, he quickly lined them up and began to kick each one. Nora was not expecting the watermelons to return to her, including the one that smacked the side of her head. One of the melons was able to confuse Jaune with its curve as it hit his leg. Pyrrah was able to block and break the melons, and Ren simply dodged them.

Somehow, Nora was able to get a catapult and launch the remaining melons across the cafeteria. It didn't have a specific destination, but it seemed that they were going to rain dowm around the back where Alexis was.

Alex knew he wasn't going to be able to block them, so he threw himself ontop of Alexis instead to protect her from the oncoming waves of deadly/delicious fruit. The fruit didn't hit them, but Alexis wasn't going to complain about how close she was to him. She could smell the cologne he was using.

"You alright?" He asked her, flashing a smile as he helped her up. She simply nodded, blushing furiously once he returned to the fight. They were really, really close together that time.

Meanwhile, Nora throws the Soda grenades at Blake, who is caught off guard by them but is able to dodge them. Pyrrah sees the cans on the ground, and taps into her semblance. As the Soda cans lift, the brunette CEO's face turns from one of awe into one of horror as the he figured where those cans were heading.

As Pyrrah launches all the cans at once he pounds his fist into the ground, a small energy field emitting from his wrist worn weapon encompasses and protects him from the sugary drink grenades. Blake isn't as lucky as she takes the brunt of all of it and is tossed into the back.

Ruby gets up from 'mourning' Weiss' fictional demise and Alex gets up from being in the kneeling stance. Nora begins to smirk as Ruby sees Alex standing as well. They make eye contact for a brief second before they nod, a non-verbal plan had been hatched. He finds a two watermelons and places one on the floor before taking the other one in his arms.

Ruby begins speeding towards Team JNPR. Alex meanwhile begins to pick up pace, using the watermelon as a grifball and running towards "Goal". Pyrrah is about to use her semblance again to try and create a barrier, but Alex was able to kick the watermelon and managed to hit and disorient her.

Ruby fully taps into her semblance and begins to spin, leaving rose petals on the ground as well as causing enough momentum to pick up all the debris and Team JNPR. Alex drops the second watermelon/ball and sees Nora trying a last ditch effort to stop Ruby. He fires a screamer of a kick that manages to send Nora into Ren. That left Ruby free to continue her plan, the debris came barreling down and Ruby stopped before hitting the wall. Her cape creating a crater in the wall. JNPR is then swept up by the debris and slammed into that cracked wall and they are painted with soda and food. They slide off the wall, leaving only their outlines as Ruby comes back down.

The doors to the cafeteria open and Glynda enters the room growling. She proceeds to use her semblances to re-organize the room, fixing the damage done as well. Team RWBY and JNPR take a seat at one of the tables as she continues the repairs,

"Children, please." she adjusts her glasses "Do not play with your food!"

Nora burps aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBY try to act civilized, but fail. A screaming Yang then crashes from the ceiling onto Alex. Yang gets up, dazed from the impact and notices him on the ground, vulnerable.

"Ow. Where's the leak mam…" He collapsed back onto the floor

"Let it go." Ozpin approaches her from behind as she sighs

G"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."

"And they will be, but right now they're still children." In the background, Everyone is laughing as Alexis helps a dazed Alex, to his feet as. "So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll get to have forever." Glynda sighs again, leaving the two teams to laugh with each other and enjoy themselves.

* * *

Author's Note: I renovated this chapter, hopefully it came out better than the original. The end result is the same though. Anyway, leave me some feedback to see what can be improved, I am open to it. Thanks for reading this and hopefully I entertained your glorious faces!


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I apologize for the almost three week, or exactly three week wait. I will explain myself at the end.

* * *

Chapter 10.

After leaving the cafeteria and receiving a very thorough talking too, Team RWBY made their way to the auditorium. Since everyone was there already, there was no one in the halls to block the way and within a small amount of time and were at the auditorium. Conveniently, they were next to Team JNPR and there was exactly five seats available. They made haste and made it to their seats with Ruby sitting next to Weiss, Yang next to Blake, and Blake sitting next to Alexis who was sitting next to Alex.

While they were busy talking with each other, Professor Goodwitch made her way to the stage and basically shutting everyone up without having to say it. She adjusted her glasses as she began to address everyone in the auditorium.

"As everyone knows, this qualifying tournament will determine which one of you hunters and huntresses in training will represent Beacon at the Vytal Festival. This year however, we have decided to hold both the qualifiers for our students and the transfer students at the same time." Everyone was whispering to each other in surprise, this was certainly news to them. Glynda got everyone's attention when she continued speaking.

"Since both qualifiers will be held at the same time, we have planned out how it will go. But before I explain that, I must explain the format for our qualifying session and how you will placed in your groups. Everyone will be seeded into pots. Which pot you are placed in will be determined by the following factors; Previous Records from another combat academy before transfer. Examples are Sanctum, Signal, and Atlas International. What this means is your combat record at the previous academies, if you attended, will affect what pot you will be placed in. Geographic location, where you either lived or studied the year before attending Beacon will also be a factor. And fight style. I do realize that we haven't had many sparring sessions so far, but we do have all of your records. Unfortunately, we will have to make do with that for now. One more, and this only applies to Second, Third, and Fourth Year Students. If your grades are not up to snuff, you are automatically ineligible to compete. We are a combat academy, so academics are part of it."

That elicited a groan from almost everyone, a lot of them knowing they have automatically failed to qualify. Meanwhile, where Team RWBY was sitting, Ruby had been confused on more than one occasion.

She turned to Weiss who was paying attention to Glynda. Despite thinking that this was a bit over the top just for a qualifying tournament, Weiss was still a little bit excited, but was taken out of her train of thought as Ruby asked her a question.

"Why don't they just group us based on what year we are in?" Weiss also wondered that. Usually they would be grouped up by the year they are in. Or in some cases, order of succession in a team. But all this?

"I don't know Ruby, maybe they are trying to prepare us early?" Ruby shrugged before Yang came in.

"I heard a rumor that the reason they are doing it this way is because this is how we will be placed in groups at the Vytal Tournament." Weiss rose an eyebrow in response. Was she really going to believe a rumor, especially one by someone who liked to gossip?

"Come on Yang, do you honestly think that they would change something like that?"

"I'm not saying that's true Ice Queen" Weiss huffed at the nickname "I am just saying that's what I heard. Apparently it has something to do with the tournament being too predictable lately. I guess they are trying to change it.

Weiss didn't say anything, trying to comprehend what Yang had just said. It is true the tournament has been a bit...too predictable, at least to her. But if the rumor is true, instead of fighting First Year students from other academies, they might have to face Third Year Students, Fourth Year Students, and even some full on Hunters. She turned to Ruby, but noticed that she was looking in down in thought.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" A couple of moments passed before Ruby looked up at Weiss.

"I was just thinking about all this. I mean how are we supposed to compete with third and fourth year students? I'm scared that I could fail to qualify and not go to the tournament. And that I would let you all down! I mean imagine that, all of you make it to the Vytal Festival Tournament and I fail to make it. That isn't embarrassing just to me, but I would let you down as well Weiss." Ruby was genuinely scared that she would fail to make it far enough to be able to go to the festival. She was also scared that she would embarrass Weiss. Trying to be the best teammate should could be, Weiss tried her best to comfort Ruby.

"Calm down Ruby, I have faith in you. I know that you will make it. In fact, if you want, we could train together." Ruby looked up at Weiss, who had a small smile.

"Really?" That would mean that they would spend more time together, and that is something that Ruby didn't mind in the slightest.

"Yes Ruby, of course. As part of my 'best-teammate-ever initiative', I will make sure that you'll do your best!" Of course Weiss wanted the best for Ruby, not only as a teammate, but as a friend. Something she won't admit unless she was alone or talking to the security box that is Alex. But, that wasn't her only motive for helping Ruby. Over the past month or so, they have been spending a lot more time together. Weiss had gotten a bit closer to the brunette. Whenever they were studying together or just at the dorm, Weiss felt something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. But she couldn't but her finger on it. All she knew was she liked the feeling. Plus, despite scolding Ruby, she liked her.

'Obviously as a friend, nothing more.' she thought to herself. She turned to Ruby and noticed that she had quickly turned her head back to the front, hoping that Weiss had noticed. Unfortunately, she did but didn't say anything. Weiss looked at Ruby and began to notice how her short hair became red at the tips, as if it was natural. She noticed her child like face. And how cute she was when she scowled, like she was doing right now. 'Wait, what? Did I just call her cute? I mean, yeah she is. And she reminds me a little of a puppy- WHY AM I THINKING THAT!?' Covering her face, she fell into her own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Yang and Blake were talking about what Glynda had just said. Blake, due to her Faunus heritage, had better hearing than most humans. So she had overhead what Yang had told Weiss.

"So Yang," She turned her head to face Blake. "I heard you tell Weiss something about how the Vytal festival was going to be changed."

"Like I said, it was a rumor I heard. The reason, at least from what I heard, was because the tournament was getting a little too one-sided. So I guess the IHA figures doing it like this would be the best way to combat that. And if the rumor is indeed true, this will apply to both Brackets."

"Brackets?"

"Both Championships, they are technically called Championship Brackets." Blake gave a nod of understanding. Before she could ask anything else, Glynda got everyone's attention again.

"Alright, before we begin the draw, I should explain how this will work since the transfer students will be competing at the same time. Once you are all seeded and placed in groups, Qualifying will begin tomorrow and will take place throughout the year. The top two from each group will make it to the knockout stage, and the third place from each group will join the transfer students in their knockout stage. This allows everyone a second chance. The best four-third place students in the group stage for the Transfer Students Qualifying will be allowed to fight for their last chance against other students from the other academies at the end of the session. Any questions?" Someone raised their hand and Glynda picked them.

"Why do we have to do it this way? What happened to the old format? What Glynda would say next would turn Yang's rumor into a fact.

"The IHA has changed the way we determine who goes. The reason is because this is how it will be down at the Festival Tournament. We were told a week before classes had started, so we had to come up with the format very quickly. Hopefully, next time, we will have perfected it." Weiss, Ruby, and Blake all stared at Yang. Alex and Alexis weren't surprised. They had been informed one way or another about this so they were prepared, but neither knew the other knew.

"SEE! I told you!" Yang wore a proud grin, but her gloated was stopped short.

"Any other questions?'" No one raised their hand or spoke up. "Ok, let us begin the Draw in order to determine who will be representing Beacon at the Vytal Festival! So this how it will work, everyone is in our computer system, and based on the prerequisites I mentioned early, you will all be drawn and placed into groups. There will be a group leader. That has no significant value other than to tell the others in the group that you are the highest rank in that group once all the coefficients are added up. Before we officially draw, here are the students who will not be eligible to qualify."

A huge list of teams were shown, and in total only about 40 or so individuals were eligible to qualify. As everyone tried to see if they were on it, Glynda made sure to tell the first year students that they would have a free pass, and that this list does not apply to them. After about 10 minutes of the list being on the board, the list disappeared as Glynda began to speak again.

"First we shall see who the group leaders are." She sets up the program that will handle to process, before showing that empty groups on the big screen above and behind her. "Ok, I shall now select the Leader for Group A. The screen begins to randomly show pictures of the eligible students, using complex algorithms to determine the Leader for that group. After about thirty seconds, the Bacon Academy Logo appeared, before the person was shown.

"Leader for Group A, from Team RWBY, Weiss Schnee!" her name and Picture with her emblem appeared, before being dragged into the first slot of the first group. Team RWBY all looked at her, with Ruby congratulating her.

"ohmaygodweisscongrats!" A small blush tinted Weiss cheeks as she was given a small hug by her. Yang and Blake gave her a high five and a small congratulatory pat. Alexis gave her a small handshake, and Alex just gave her a two finger small salute. Team JNPR also gave Weiss some congratulatory salutations and what not.

"Now for Group B" The same process happened again, and the result wasn't surprising.

"The Leader for Group B, From Team JNPR, Pyrrah Nikos!" Pyrrah's entrance music began playing as her Emblem and Picture were displayed. Team JNPR congratulated Pyrrah, and Team RWBY also gave the some congratulatory salutations, before placing their attention on the board.

"The Leader for Group C is Ruby Rose!" Her name and Emblem appeared as well before being placed in the first slot of Group C. Yang grabbed Ruby in a bone crushing hug, which drew all the air from her lungs"

"RUBY IM SO PROUD OF YOU!" Ruby was struggling to get air, and she swore she heard her back crack in a few places.

"Yang….air….need"

Yang put her down but was still ecstatic about the development. Blake and Alexis acknowledged Ruby's achievement. Alex gave another two finger salute, which Ruby returned. Weiss meanwhile, acknowledged her in a different way.

"See? I told you, you dolt. You'll do fine." Ruby nodded happily as she went for a fist pump. Weiss just stared at her.

"Come on Weiss! Don't leave me hanging!" Weiss conceded and gave a small fist pumped, which caused Ruby to silently cheer to herself. Seeing that made Weiss's mouth twitch at the corners, before turning back to the big screen.

The Draw wasn't too interesting after that. Two Second year students was placed as leader of Group D and J, a fourth Year of Group G, and two Third Years for Groups H and I. The only interesting part was Jaune somehow being drawn as leader of Group F, causing even Glynda to double check.

"Ok, that concludes the drawing to determine the heads of each group. We shall now commence placing all of you in a group."

"Joining Weiss Schnee in Group A…Cardin Winchester!" Everyone gasped, that was the first example of mixing all the students, instead of placing them in their own groups. Now everyone knew that it would be a very tough situation. Weiss just looked uninterested at this, she knew that Cardin couldn't defend himself to save his own life.

"In Group B, Joining Pyrrah Nikos…Coco Adel!" All the second Year students began to cheer, she had made it to the semifinals of the Tournament last year.

"Group C, Joining Ruby Rose… Alexander Rojo!" Music began playing and his emblem and Picture were displayed on Screen. The Prominent "PNA" logo on the Right Breast of his shirt in the picture. Ruby went up to him and offered her Opinion on the matter

"Team Special Snowflake!" Alexis, Weiss, and Blake raised their eyebrows simultaneously in confusion, and Yang just giggled at her sisters antics. Alex responded to Ruby

"Oi! Team Special Snowflakes is finally getting the Rep they deserved!" That Caused Ruby to laugh as well. The other three were still lost, but said nothing.

Ren was placed in Group D, Yang in Group F and Blake in Group J. The Second Round ended and instantly, the Third Round Commenced.

"The Third Round of the Draw will begin. In Group A… Alexis Blau!" her Picture and Emblem was displayed before being put into the Group.

"At least I won't be alone with Cardin in the Group" Weiss said, she was relieved because at least she would know someone else in her group.

"Gee Weiss, thanks…" Weiss rolled her eyes, smirking.

"In Group B, Clover Handsen!" Apparently, a Third Year Student would join Pyrrah in Group B along with Coco.

"In Group C, Dove Bronzewing!" Alex instantly remembered him when his picture went up on the screen. He was one of the people who harassed Velvet not too long ago. Third Round came and went as Nora was placed in the same group with Ren. Both Velvet and Blake were placed in the second to last and last groups respectively. Then the final round of the draw started

The Rest of the Groups were filled and the Groups were displayed.

* * *

Group A

Weiss Schnee

Cardin Winchester

Alexis Blau

Evelyn Savanna

* * *

Group B

Pyrrah Nikos

Coco Adel

Clover Handsen

Micheal J. Caboose

* * *

Group C

Ruby Rose

Alexander Rojo

Dove Bronzewing

Tanner Foust

* * *

Group D

Hilda Lito

Lie Ren

Nora Valkyrie

Emily Garcia

* * *

Group E

Selena Del Luna

Sasha Tye

Matilda Don

Evangelina Sandero

* * *

Group F

Jaune Arc

Yang Xiao Long

David McTavish

Amber Celica

* * *

Group G

Nicholas Vettel

Natalie Gonzalez

Yatsuhashi Daichi

Dexter Grif

* * *

Group H

Grace Aqua

Fox Alistair

Alexander Mersilla

Montel Sake

* * *

Group I

Sebastian Copernicus

Russel Thrush

Velvet Scarlatina

John Felix

* * *

Group J

Zyda June

Sky Lark

Blake Belladonna

Marcus Cena

* * *

Here are the groups you all have been placed in, the first bout will take place the following Friday." The screen with the groups disappeared and the Rules of the Tournament and an explanation of everything was displayed on the screen. Glynda began to explain how this will work,

"Each bout of the Group Stage will take place at three to four week intervals. Each Group Member will face other group members twice. Each match in Group Stage will be limited to twenty minutes. Points will determine your place in your group after your match. You will receive three points for a victory, and none if you lose. If two competitors reach the time limit, regardless of Aura level they will both be awarded with one point. Information about the next stage will be given as we get closer to the end of the group stage. Your Scrolls have been sent a copy of the match schedule that include the dates and time. That is all for today. Good Luck to all of you, you are all dismissed."

* * *

After Assembly

Team RWBY left the Auditorium, with JNPR not too far behind. Ruby was the first to speak up.

"Wow! I can't believe I am the head of my group! This is so exciting!" Weiss smiled a little as she saw Ruby all excited and what not. Though she was surprised when Yang suddenly became mature…for about half a minute.

"Rubes, being head of your group is a big deal. You are not only representing us, like Weiss is in her group. But you're also repping me, so don't mess up. Besides, just because you are the head of your group doesn't mean you'll stay there. I mean" she whispered the next part "You have someone who could easily take that from you" They both turned around behind them and looked at the 'Alex' pair as they dubbed them. Alex was talking to Alexis about the whole bet thing from Port's class. Alexis didn't want to hold up her end of the bet.

"I said no such thing!"

Alex responded in a monotone voice. "Yes you did…"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did"… They both noticed Yang and Ruby looking at them

"Uh, can I help the both of you?" Alex responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, we're just watching."

"….Oooookay then…" Yang and Ruby turned around continuing their conversation.

"He is a huge threat in your group and you know it! I mean, it isn't the group of death or anything, but it'll be hard for you to keep that top spot. Think you can handle it Ruby?"

"Of course I can Yang! I am not a kid anymore!" She pouted in a childlike fashion, causing Weiss and Blake to chuckle. Yang just rolled her eyes.

"Of course you are Ruby…You just need to learn to grow up a bit. And being here at Beacon, meeting new people and what not will help you grow up."

"I don't need anyone to help me grow up…I Drink Milk."

"…"

"…"

"…Okay then….Moving on, were are we going anyway?" Blake spoke up, answering her question

"I'm going to the library, I'm going to try to catch up with my reading" That gave Yang an idea.

"Alright, I'll go too! Ruby, we should get that one board game!" Ruby's eyes lit up

"You mean Remnant: The Trading Card Board Game?"

"Yeah!" Ruby remembered that she packed it in one of her drawers.

"Let's go get it then!" They both ran off screaming in unison

"We'll meet you guys at the library!" Blake, Weiss, Alexis and Alex just watched as they ran out of site. Alex decided to speak up

"So…I guess we are all going to the library?"

"I…guess so?" Weiss responded, confused. Alexis then spoke up

"Alright…" She was a bit irked, she wanted to spend more time with Alex….alone. Behind them, Juane decided to make himself and his team's presence known.

"Mind if we tag along?" Weiss just "hmphed" and walk toward the library with Blake following. Alexis answered his question.

"Sure, we" he gestured to herself and her partner "don't mind at all. I think it would be better for our health actually if we stick with you guys." Juane nodded in approval. And thought it would be a brilliant idea to hit on Alexis…in front of Pyrrah.

"So Alexis is it?" She nods, "Well, I don't think we have had a conversation. Just the two of us. Let me start. The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." She just blinks…confused, a bit weirded out, and suddenly regretting her decision.

"Um, ok…Juane? If you don't mind, I am going to stand over here" She points to her partner's left side, while he listens to Nora telling a story. Pyrrah was watching from behind, listening and a bit irritated with Juane. Eventually, they make it to the library. Alexis and Alex quickly make their way to that table….Or more like Alexis grabs Alex by the arm and literally drags him as she walked briskly towards her two other teammates. They both notice that both Weiss and Blake are reading. Blake is reading her book, while Weiss is studying from her text book. Alexis took a seat and took out her notebook and a pencil. She began to draw…or write something. Alex decided to forgo any type of educational initiatives for the day and had decided he wanted to play some games.

"Really? You're going to play here? Can't you wait until you play at the dorm or something?" He shook his head, destroying the newbies is something that takes time and dedication.

"No can do Weiss, playing this takes a certain type of Finesse, skill, and Dedication" She rolled her eyes as he began to play a match. Eventually, his opponent decided to quit.

Meanwhile, Alexis had been watching him play. She also like videos games, but she was usually a bit too busy to be able to enjoy them for more than an hour at most. She wanted to play him, as it would give her an excuse to get a little closer. The chance that he had a spare controller were slim, but she took the shot anyway and asked.

"Alex?" He paused and raised an eyebrow in question. "Mind if I play against you?" He looked at her confusedly

"You…Play Games?" She nodded her head before answering and mocking fake offense and hurt

"What? Do you think that just because I'm a girl, I don't play games" She shifted from fake offense to fake mad. He saw her begin to get mad, and fearing for his life he tried to calm her down….which he failed at doing so…very badly.

"No, it's just that you…I didn't think you-"

"You thought that I can't play? That girls shouldn't entertain themselves the same way guys do?"

"I never said that at all!" Both Blake and Weiss were watching the scene unfold, the both knew that Alexis wasn't actually upset. Unfortunately Alex did believe that and was making a fool of himself. Which both of them found to be extremely funny.

"I give up…" He planted his face into the desk and when he heard giggling, he looked up to see Alexis laughing at him. Confused he asked her.

"What's so funny?"

"You actually thought I was mad!" Of course he thought she was mad.

"Yeah I actually thought you were upset. Wait, you weren't actually mad?"

"Of course not…"

"…"

"…"

"…You are such a big MEANIE!" The way he said that in a childlike manner caused her to laugh loud enough for the librarian to shush her from afar. Smiling as he made her laugh, he reached into his bag and pulled out another controller.

"Anyway, you are in luck! I happen to have a second controller right here!" She looked at him, confused as to why he actually carried two. Deciding that it wasn't important, she took it and turned it on. The truth was that he didn't like waiting for the controller's to charge, so he would bring two in case one decided to take the piss and die. As setup the game, she noticed how close they were to each other. And she began to notice how he looked when he was concentrating. She was snapped out of her trance as she saw he lips move.

"Lex, are you going to pick a team?" Shaking her head a bit, she chose her team and the venue they were going to play in. After they both setup their squads, and Alex watching very nervously as Alexis made some HEAVY modifications to her squad, like root formation changes and play positions, they decided on playing two-ten minute halves. As the match progressed, the game began to irritate him.

"Penalty…PENALTY!? NO?!" The player controlled by Alexis performed a slide tackle in the box from behind that took down his player, which under normal circumstances would be a spot kick. The AI Referee decided to not award it and pointed at the ball, signaling it was a fair tackle. Alexis decided to further irritate him with her smug comments

"That was a fair tackle, it was for the ball."

"That was not for the ball! You took me out!"

"Did the ref call it?"

"…"

"That's what I thought."

Around the start of the second half, the referee decided that she had not paid him enough, and started to call the smallest fouls against her. An example was when both her defender and Alexmidfielder crashed into each other. She received a yellow card and the foul was dangerously close to the box.

"What?! That was just player collision!"

"No… Clearly you fouled me right there"

"I DID NOT AND YOU SAW!" Deciding that he should give her a bit of her own medicine, he responded the same way she did early.

"Did the Referee call it as a foul?" She just crossed her arms and pouted "Thought so…"

Throughout the match the game was very close with unfair fouls called on both ends. But at the end of the Regulation it was tied 1-1. Weiss and Blake had put down their respective reading material sometime around the second half and were watching the game from either side of them, both of them believing that watching them play and argue is more entertaining that the reading they were doing… And that both Ruby and Yang hadn't returned. Since it was the end of regulation, they played an additional fifteen minute game halves which were about three minutes of actual time per half. After defensive errors on both sides, one of his strikers broke through and was making a run at goal. That in turn forced Alexis to commit a "tactical foul" to prevent him from scoring, so she did what any normal person would do in the situation…She forced her Keeper to come out and take out the striker from the legs.

"PENALTY?! PLEASE?!" The librarian got up and shushed him, but he didn't care. The Referee in the game pointed to the Penalty Spot and Showed the Goalkeeper a red card, ejected her Goalkeeper.. Alexis had to make her last substitution and force out a Midfielder for another Goalkeeper. After that had been set and done, it was time to actually attempt the spot kick. Choosing the player that would take it, He concentrated, trying to time it just to get the right amount of power at a very specific corner. As he lined everything up and was putting everything to action, Yang had conveniently showed up with Ruby.

"We're back!"

Her commotion caused the brunette to aim too far to the top right corner, and the ball hit the top crossbar and went out for a Goal kick.

"GOD DAMN IT" he groaned and put his face in his hands, that was the last kick of the match and now they had to go into the Penalty Shootouts. Yang was confused for a second.

"Well, I'm happy to see you too…"

"Sorry Yang, It's not about you..."

"Who said you were going to make it?"

"Come on, you seriously think I would have missed if I hadn't been distracted?"

"It could have happened."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night…You're up first by the way."

Alexis Confidence had dwindled down as the match progressed, but she was not about to give in. She was up to take the first Kick of the shootout and she told herself that she wouldn't not make a fool out of herself. Lining everything up, she took the shot…and she made it.

"Yes! You're up next" Her smug smirk increased as she saw that a defender was going to take the shot first for his team. It was immediately erased from her face as his shot went into the top right corner. At this point, Yang and Ruby were watching while they setup their game on the table. Alexis was next…and she made it again. Alex was up…and he also made it.

It was the end of the mandatory five shot-a-piece first round , and now it was sudden death. Basically, if one missed and the other scored, the other would win. Alexis was up first.

'Alright, concentrate. No pressure…' She aimed and carefully timed the shot. It was a perfect shot, in the top left corner where no one could reach it. Impressed, Alex ready himself up. The pressure was mounting, the fate of the entire world was on his shoulders, and he began to sweat. As he lined everything up Nora threw an Apple at Yang, still upset at the result of the food fight. Unfortunately, she missed and hit Alex on the arm that caused him to aim too far to the left. He watched in horror as his strikers shot hit the post and went out, ending the match. Alexis tried not to be too smug about the victory…the keyword is tried…

"Wow, that was…a good try" He just held his head in his hands.

"Damn it…" Showing that he isn't a sore loser…most of the time, he extended his hand in a sign of good sportsmanship. "Good Game Lex, I'll get you next time I suppose."

That surprised her, she thought that by the way he was acting during the match that he would throw a fit. Taking herself out of that, she took his hand and shook it. After a couple of seconds neither let go but Yang, who wanted to play the board game, interrupted them by saying something and covering it with a fake cough. Alexis heard it but apparently he didn't.

"Getaroom"

Alexis just glared at Yang while Alex put away the game while Ruby was setting up the board.

"Really? This? You know Yang cheats at this." Yang defended herself…and did a somewhat crap job of it.

"Hey! That was only one time! And that was because both you and Ruby were double teaming me!" He just rolled his eyes.

"It's not my fault you don't know how to negotiate very well with the other kingdoms. If you had bargained accordingly, maybe that wouldn't have happened." Before Yang could say anything, she was stopped by Alexis.

"Don't you need to play this in groups of two or something?"

"Yeah, I was thinking that we could split into three groups with two each and play. You want to play?" She nodded. "Alright! So what are the teams?" Ruby instantly went to her partner

"I'm with Weiss!"

Weiss was confused "Wait, what?"

Yang decided not to make a joke and paired up with Blake. "I guess I'm with Blake, and that means that Alexis, you are paired with him since he's the only person left…not that you mind" She grinned before dodging a book that was thrown her way.

* * *

Yang was watching closely while Blake, who is obviously distracted, just sat there next to her. Weiss was sitting next to Ruby, who has been contemplating her next move. Alexis was planning strategically while the CEO was thinking to himself if he should go grab a bag of chips…It's been Five minute already since the start of Ruby's turn. She eventually made her move

"Hmmmmm... All right... All right!" she points at Yang "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"

Yang balls her fist "Bring it on!"

Ruby begins her turn "I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Slaping the card down on the table. Yang feigns a look of shock. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" She makes noises like airplanes flying and bombing as she makes a bird with her hands.

"You fiend!"

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." Yang begins laughing arrogantly raises a card.

Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card! Yang shows the card to Ruby, who is visibly disturbed. "Giant Nevermore!" She slams the card down on the table "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

"But, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces! "

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Yang said.

Meanwhile, sitting at the table next to them, Ren and Pyrrha are studying, and Nora is drooling as she sleeps. Juane is reading an 'X-Ray and Vav' Comic before his attention is diverted to Team RWBY as Ruby screamed in defeat

"Nooooo! My fearless soldiers!" Yang just scoffs.

"Eh, most of them were probably androids."

"Goodbye my friends, you will be avenged."

"Not until I draw my rewards! Which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!"

"Bah!"

Meanwhile, back with Team JNPR, Nora is drooling in her sleep and muttered "Oh. Have pancakes" before her drool bubble is popped by Ren. Pyrrah notices Juane reading the comic book and then confiscates it, trading it for a textbook while she reads it. Yang meanwhile, is showing no remorse towards Ruby.

"Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Wind Path?"

"Bah! Bah, I say!"

"I say, it looks like I'm taking two cards in my hand!"

As Pyrrha reads Jaune's comic, a Nevermore player piece is tossed over Jaune's shoulder. Another piece bounces off of his head.

"Have you no heart?" Ruby then collapses on the table, crying. "Nooo!"

It's now Weiss's turn, but she got lost somewhere in transit with all the stuff that just happened

"Well, Weiss, it's your turn".

"I have... absolutely no idea what's going on."

Yang slides up beside her and puts her hand on her shoulder. "Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus"

"That sounds dumb."

Yang starts looking through Weiss' cards. "See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh!"She pulls up a card to show Weiss. "Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet, thus stabbing her in the back—"Ruby speaks up, albeit indignantly.

"Nooo!"

Yang continues where she left off "—and put it in your hand!"

"Okay."

"And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance against Natural-based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" She points a finger at Weiss. "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war."

"And that means..."

Ruby explains the next part, with her head down and still crying "You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!"

Weiss stands and a coincidental thunder clap accompanies Weiss' as she begins to laugh psychotically.

"Yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!"

"Trap card..." Yang holds a trap card in her hand

"Huh?"

"Yang shuffles the pieces on the board, with Weiss' pieces disappearing "Your armies have been destroyed."

Weiss slumps in her chair, tearing up. "I hate this game of emotions we play." Ruby hops into Weiss' lap.

"Stay strong, Weiss! We'll make it through this together!"

Weiss blushes a little bit before responding "Shut up!" Weiss hugs Ruby, hesitant at first. "Don't touch me!"

"Alright! Team A&A, you're up!"

They both nodded, having been whispering the entire time, tactically planning while the others were busy.

"Alright!"First, I deploy our air force!" Alexis explained "I also activate Our Airforces' special ability! By giving up some of our stake in Vale and Vacuo, We gain an additional attack phase which allows us to attack twice in one turn! I choose to attack..." She looks around the table. Ruby was still in Weiss' lap and Blake looks nervous. Yang however, looks unfazed. "You!" She points at Yang "Yang Xiao Long! Prepare to Duel!"

Yang smirks as she pulls out a trap card. "You just activated my trap! Electromagnetic storm! Now, all airships that attack me will instantly be disabled and destroyed!" She begins to laugh like a manic with a smug grin, right up to when Alex stepped in.

"Not so fast! I activate my magic card, Advanced Armoured Reinforcement! By switching one group of soldiers from their current offensive position to a tactically defensive one, this shield will protect anything I choose from any other player for three turns!" He switches a small group of android soldiers near the Kingdom run by Ruby into a defensive position. "I choose to defend…the Airforce Fleet!" "Now, they can make their way towards their target with no problem at all!"

"Now, with your Kingdom under our Control, we shall rename it! But first, the second attack phase! Ruby Rose! Prepare to Duel!" Alexis rearranged their Original Fleet, plus the one from Yang's kingdom in a 'V' formation. Ruby was confused.

"Hey! Why are Yang's former Airships now with you guys?" Yang was just crying with her head down, Blake trying to sooth her ego as it was destroyed that turn.

"Did you forget its special ability? If this Airforce fleet destroys another 'Active' one, that now become part of ours and gives us yet another attack phase! Meaning, we can attack a total of three times this turn! I attacked Yang, so know I only have two attack phases remaining. Both of which are going for you!" The Airships, which were now all encompassed by the shield, floated towards Ruby's kingdom and promptly cleaned house. Destroying almost all of the Kingdom and causing Ruby to groan. She had lost and there wasn't anything she could do. It was all up to Weiss now. Alexis ended her turn, and was now Alex's turn

"I switch my defensive soldiers into attack formation! And order them to go for the Kingdom controlled by Blake!" They both managed to control 97% of Remnant by this time. Juane had been watching from his table and he came up to them.

"Hey! Can I play?"

Ruby shook her head. "Sorry Jaune, we've already got 6 people. And those two-"she pointed at the 'A&A' pair "Are too overpowered anyway…" Weiss chimed in as well.

"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you possess."

"Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet 2 turns ago." Weiss glared at Yang and made an annoyed sound. Juane was still unfazed

"Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader!"

"By who? Your mother?"

"A-and Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha waves from where she is sitting "Hello again!"

Jaune begs with both hands folded together "Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!"

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!"

"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before. I mean, you told us all that Blake is secretly a Fa-"

Pyrrha darts over and slaps a hand over Jaune's mouth, finishing the sentence for him "Fun-loving person, whom we all admire and respect." Jaune laughs nervously as he was save by Pyrrah. Again.

Everyone looks nervously at Blake who looks obviously annoyed that her secret is out. Alexis Face palms and Alex pinches the bridge of his nose, mumbling "Imbecile".

"Right. That. Ladies, Gentleman, enjoy your battle." Blake also decides to leave.

"I'm going to go too" She briskly walks away, leaving the rest of her team confused.

* * *

Team RWBY's room.

Blake as she sits with her knees folded to her chest on her bed. She hears voices in her head.

"Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."

"The sounds of battle including slashes, grunts, gunfire, and Torchwick's laughter."

Team RWBY are enter their dorm room. Yang was whining.

"Ugh, we should have never let those two play! "

You're just mad cuz' they beat us in three turns! See, if you had just attacked when I told you none of this would have happened." As they enter, Blake approaches the door to leave.

"Stop." Weiss points at Blake her hand retracts from the door knob. "Lately you've been quiet, antisocial and moody!"

"Uh, have you met Blake?" Ruby elbowed Yang

"Yang, be quiet."

Weiss continued her monologue. "Which I get is kind of your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual! Which quite frankly, is unacceptable! You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong!" She flips through the air "So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong!?" She points her finger at Blake again. Weiss is balancing precariously on a chair's back feet. She quickly puts the chair away and returns to stand near the group. Blake takes a deep breath before responding

"I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm."

Ruby approaches Blake "You're still thinking about Torchwick?" She nods

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!"

Yang also walked over to Blake. "Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it." Blake still didn't believe that

"I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!"

Weiss begins speaking again. "Okay, between blowing up nightclubs" She pointed at Yang.  
Stopping thieves." She gestures towards Ruby and Alex. "and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think that you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells!

"Uh, who?"

"But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!"

"Well yeah, but..."

"We're not ready!"

Blake responds to Weiss "And we may never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." She points towards the door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but its coming! Whether we're ready or not!"

Ruby raises her hand and does other gestures, while looking a little like a manic. "Okay! All in favor of becoming the youngest Hunter and Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... say aye."

Yang pumps her fist enthusiastically and points at Blake "Yes! I love it when you're feisty!"

"Well, I suppose it could be fun."

"I guess so."

"I mean, could be worse"

"None of you said aye…" Everyone's attention turned to Blake again as she spoke

"Alright then, we're in this together!"

Ruby rubs her hands together."Let's hatch a plan!"

"Yeah!"

Ruby gasps as she freaks out. "I left my board game at the library!"

Weiss places her head in her hand "We're doomed."

"I'll be right back!" Ruby slam into someone. "Oo-oof! Oh g-! Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Emerald offers her a hand "Just watch where you're going."

" Oh, right, sorry" She continues to speak as Emerald helps her to her feet "Um, I'm Ruby! Are you new?"

Emerald steps aside as Cinder approaches her "Visiting from Haven, actually."

Ruby stares for a moment and Cinder stares back.

"Ooh! You're here for the festival! But exchange students have their own dormitory."

Mercury speaks up "I guess we just got turned around."

"Hey, don't worry, it happens all the time." Mercury and Emerald walk past her. "Uh, your building is just east of here."

"Thanks." Cinder walks past Ruby, gesturing in acknowledgement "Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah. Maybe!" As the trio as continue to walk away, Ruby waves behind them. "Oh, uh, and welcome to Beacon!" Cinder grins evilly and her eyes glow menacingly as they all walk away.

* * *

Author's Note: Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 12

* * *

Team RWBY walked into their dorm. It wasn't that late surprisingly. It was only 11:25 at night. As they were walking in, the sounds of a complaining Weiss was what they were hearing. More specifically, that was being directed to the girl in red and the boy in blue.

"I cannot believe we stopped so you two could go to that store and stock up on junk food!" Ruby looked at Weiss with the boxes of cookies in her hands. She couldn't stop herself from buying the entire store's worth of chocolate chip cookies.

"But Weeeiiisss, they're soooo good! Plus they were on sale! I couldn't pass that up!" She proceeded to start putting away her items around the dorm. Weiss just rolled her. She then turned her attention to the other person who joined her in the act buying the stores supply of junk food.

"And you Alexander, I didn't expect something like this out of you!" He was barely walking into the dorm, huffing and puffing as the bags around his body were full. Setting all of them down, he cleaned himself off.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see these chips in the store! These are the best chips in the history of the world!" He took one out and pointed to it, trying to justify his actions. The chips in question were the spiciest chips made on Remnant. The top half of the bag was orange while the bottom half was black, with the words "XXTRA HOT" written on it.

"Alex, we know those won't last more than a week at most." Said Yang. She was helping Ruby put away her never ending supply of cookies. He just rolled his eyes. She was partly right however, those chips are way too good to not eat.

"Of course they won't, you eat them too."

"Of course I eat them too, how do you think I'm always sooo…hot….eh? eh?" Everyone just groaned and Alex threw Yang a bag of chips.

"Shut up, take that bag, and don't disrespect the chips by making puns." She nodded before putting them away.

"Look, I'll make sure that Ruby doesn't eat herself into a sugary coma" Ruby whined, but Weiss ignored it "Alexis, can you make sure that HE" he pointed to Alex, who was currently trying to stuff one last bag into a drawer and gave up "doesn't eat himself to a very spicy death?"

"Weiss, I appreciate your concern, I'll be fine. You're just worrying about nothing." Then he remembered something from before and a smug grin appeared on his face "Ohhhh, is it about that one time you ate a bag of the-"

"Shut it, we agreed never to speak about it!" Weiss was blushing furiously.

"Don't worry Weiss, I'll keep an eye on him" she took the bag he left in the counter, much to his dismay.

"Hey! I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me! I can do that on my own thank-you-very-much!" Yang had a grin on her face.

"Like that time when you were seven and ate all the habanero sauce? And was screaming and looking for water, not knowing and finding out the hard way that water makes it worse?" Everyone was looking at him while he glared at Yang. Both Yang and Ruby burst into a small giggle fit while Alexis was curious and wanted to know more about that.

"What happened?" Jackpot! All those times he was embarrassed by Alex, now he could get him back! Brilliant! Clearing her throat, she began to tell the story.

"Well-"

"Nothing important happened! I just ate a bit more spicy food than what I could handle. That's all!" Alex tried to cover it up, but obviously no one was going to buy it.

"Like I was saying-" he gave up and put his head in his hands in embarrassment. He knew that stopping Yang would be like trying to stop a bullet train with a Water Bottle. Accepting his fate, he sat down. Everyone else grabbed a seat as well. Blake was on her bunk and Ruby was sitting next to Weiss. Alexis had grabbed a chair and sat closer to Alex. Once everyone had taken a seat. Yang continued her story.

"I was about eight, Alex was seven, and Ruby was six. Uncle Qrow and I were making some food, he had made some habanero sauce and had placed it in a small bowl on the counter. Then he comes in" she points to him"asking for something to eat. Qrow told him that he could take the bowl on the counter near the sink. He took the wrong one, and once we noticed it was gone we heard screaming coming from the living room. Ruby was confused and a little scared because she didn't know what was happening. He drank water, but that just made it worse. Luckily, our Uncle knew what to do so he gave him a glass of milk. To this day we still occasionally make fun of him for that…Good times, Good times…"

Alexis was trying to hold back a fit of laughter, Ruby was laughing, Blake and Weiss had the beginning of a smile forming, and Yang was just grinning. The Star of the story, Alex, was not amused and crossed his arms in a pout.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad… Right?" Alexis tried but failed to comfort him while trying to stop the bouts of laughter. He just 'hmphed' and turned away.

"Says you, the bathroom and my rectum would like to have a word with you…" That made her full on burst into laughter. He just rolled his eye and dropped the act, smiling as the rest of the group laughed. "Alright, now that you told everyone about that, I guess now is my turn. Hmmmm…where to start. I know! When she was eight sh-"a pillow abruptly stopped him.

"There is no need for them to know…" Looking at everyone else, she smiled sheepishly "It's nothing, I swear."

"Don't worry Yang, they will find out... One way or another…Anyway, I think we should catch some shut eye, tomorrow we get to spar against people! Finally!" Everyone nodded in agreement and got ready for bed.

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch's Class.

"Alright, today we shall have our first sparring matches. Obviously not everyone will be able to spar today, but hopefully you will be able to get an idea of your opponent's style." Everyone was sitting in the Auditorium, which had been accommodated into a battle arena.

The 'Field of Battle' was a perfect circle. It is eighty yards in length and forty yards wide at its most center point and the seating was made so that it went around the 'Field of Battle'. Instead of having walls, like an IHA sanctioned "Field of War", there was a white line that went around the arena, signifying the out of bounds zone. Due to the fact that this is an indoor Arena, this was as big as it could be. However, it is still one of the largest in the Kingdom of Vytal, with the Olympiakos Arena surpassing it and the Benefactor Super Kingdome being the largest indoor "arena", despite the fact that the IHA recognizes it as a stadium due to its layout. This was where most of the qualifying matches would take place.

Team RWBY was sitting next to Team JNPR, the both of them had taken up an entire row of seats. Ruby was positively giddy, wanting this to start already. Glynda was setting up a system in order to select the combatants that will spar first.

"Alright, let so who will start us off." Tapping some things into her scroll, the screen above her started displaying everyone's name and emblem. It kept going for a few seconds before stopping at an emblem with three letters "Ah, one of our newest students. Mr. Rojo if you could please get changed for battle." The man in question was preoccupied with his game to notice, but an already irate Alexis let him know. She grabbed his phone and slammed it onto the table in front of him.

"Hey, the hell is your problem?!" She just glared at him

"You're up to spar…" she pointed to the front. He sighed and got up, thanking her on the way down. She just rolled her eyes. She was having a mood today because today was the day that Mother Nature decided to grace her with a present…a painful one. Alexis had been having cramps all day, and that was combined with a migraine that was coming as well.

"And her opponent…" Alexis' attention was diverted down to the, screen above was shuffling through everyone before it landed on someone. Another first year student. Glynda adjusted her glasses before announcing her opponent. "And his opponent, Natalie Gonzalez!" The person all got up and went to the 'Field', being already in her combat attire. She stood in the center of the Arena, waiting for him to come out. Suddenly the screen above the Field blacked out, before displaying the 'PNA-PNC' emblem, and Music* began to play. One minute and fifty seconds into the song, Alex came out of the side entrance from the locker room and made his way towards the BattleField. Climbing up the stairs, he was in and made his way to the center where his opponent was. He extend his hand towards her, confusing her for a second. Blinking for a second, she took it and he shook it.

"Good Luck, may the better person win." She just smirked.

"Oh, I plan too." He chuckled at her brashness.

"Huh, a bit of arrogance I see? Well, I am going to have to do something about that…" She just rolled her eyes, still having a smirk on her face.

"Alright you two, standard IHA 'FairFight' rules…and no direct blows to the groin." She mumbled something about 'not needing that to happen again' "Alright, are you two ready?" They both nodded and went to their respective side of the Battle Arena. Glynda set up the Heads Up Display on the big screen above the Field and that showed both a small portrait of the combatants, their emblem directly underneath them, and their Aura which was a very large vertical bar that was full at the moment for both combatants.

"…Begin!"

As soon as the match began, a twenty minute timer began to count down. Natalie extended her weapon, which was a short Swiss Voulge that had two barrels at the bottom, meaning it was also a sawed off double barrel shotgun. The Blade had a Red Dust Crystal in the dead center of the blade, bud had been molded to sit flush.

Alex meanwhile had activated his weapon, the bezel of his watch began to spin and it vibrated twice to signifying that it was running at full capacity and ready to go to work. Instantly however, his Aura bar dropped a little, surprising Glynda and Everyone watching. He also had another problem…Range. Obviously, he needed something that could reach farther than his current weapon could…since its range was about as far as he could spit. So he brought a 'companion' weapon... Once both their weapons were up and ready, the names of their weapons popped up on the screen, just below their names. Natalie's Weapon was called "The Fiery Delicacy".

Meanwhile, Alex's first weapon showed up. Unfortunately it confused almost everyone who was watching.

"Project Des Voltsgalph X? What time of name is that?" Ruby asked Weiss, who just shrugged.

"I don't know Ruby, everyone has different names for their weapons. But this seems to be just a codename or something. I was expecting him to name it something brash, Like the "Stinger's Wrath, or Satan's hell path" or something." Her attention went back to the screen as Alex cracked his knuckles, and a third weapon name showed up on the screen.

"Temp Proj. Bison 115?" Ruby was even more lost and once she read the second name, she just accepted that fact. "Project Model M: Type C? What is this jargon? He really needs to work on his naming schemes." Weiss was also confused, there were three weapons on screen but two in his possession.

"Why does he only have two weapons, but the HUD shows three?" Her question was answered as soon as he pulled something from his back. "Alright, I guess that answers my question…"

Dubbed 'Project Model M: Type C' by classified PNA-PNC documents, it was a simple lever action shotgun. The ammunition used varied from live rounds, to combat training paint rounds, to kinetic rounds used by Yang's weapon, to really anything that could be fit into a shotgun shell. At the moment it was fitted with Kinetic 'Type C' Ammo. Originally it had a long Barrel, similar to a Rifle, but it had been cut down to about eighteen inches, a full foot and two inches from its original twenty eight inches. The butt had been cut off as well, but was retro fitted in order to allow to allow for modular customization…and it was also another weapon, but it had no name come up.

Alexis, despite the migraine, was paying attention to fight. She hadn't seen how he fights in combat, so it was an opportunity to see. She could also use this to come up with way to improve her style as well as find ways to work together…

Natalie had gone on the offensive, running towards Alex with weapon ready to strike. As soon as she began to swing, he disappeared. She turned around, looking for him when she heard a sound, similar to a can of compressed air being used. She turned around and received a kick that sent her around midfield. Quickly getting up, she was as confused as everyone watching from the stands.

"Did he just…" Yang just nodded at Blake.

"Well, that something new…"

Alex was in his modified boxer stance, waiting for his opponent to make a move. Natalie flipped her weapon, exposing the bottom and firing both barrels at once. Alex got his weapon and was able to spin it, blocking both shots. He then fired his gun, which forced her to go on the defensive. As soon as he fired off his last shot, he ran towards her, detached the butt, and was able to mold it and fitted it to a hole underneath the barrel. It now looked like a police baton with the grip where the butt was now having an angular shape. Gripping it in his left hand, his watch was able to reinforce it. He landed a few shots on her, but she was able to block some. He miscalculated where she was going to land when dodging and she took advantage, sending him back with a hit from her 'Fiery Delicacy'. She used the flush dust crystal to multiply the damage of her weapon.

For about fifteen minutes, the fight was a back and forth affair. The spectators were actually quite entertained. Ruby was watching wide eyed as his weapons could be more than one thing at any given time. Alexis was watching like a hawk, her pain having apparently subsided. Blake, Yang and Weiss were just watching. Occasionally commentating.

Meanwhile, both opponents were a bit spent. Their Aura was in the orange zone going towards the red. Natalie having the slight advantage. However, she was being a little bit cocky. Dancing around occasionally similar to how a boxer would taunt his opponent. And that would cost her. Dashing forward, she was able to side step the obvious attempt at a shoulder check, but he performed a back flip and boosted. He landed next to her and he performed his rising kick maneuver, sending her into the air. He then boosted upward and before performing the same move again and sending her even high. Since his boost had been able to cool down so he was able to boost up again and this time, he positioned himself couple feet above her and performed a front flip, his right leg landing on her abdomen and sending her straight into the ground and out of the BattleArena. Her Aura bar took a huge drain and Glynda called the end of the match and walked towards the winner. Natalie groaned from her place on the ground, five feet from the Out-of-Bounds zone.

"The Winner of the bout, Mr. Alex Rojo. Congratulaions. No Doubt I have full confidence that you will qualify for the Combat Tournament with ease." He nodded and went over to his opponent, who was sitting up and clutching her abdomen.

"You alright?" She gave the hand gesture 'so-so' "I knocked the wind out of you?" She nodded in confirmation. He extended his hand, which confused her for a second.

"Uh…" He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want some help getting up? Or do you prefer sitting on the ground?" She shook took her head and took his hand. He pulled her up to her feet and patted her shoulder. "Good Match. Though try to at least lay off the arrogance. It would have helped you." She just smiled sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry about that. It's just part of my style."

"It's fine, no offense taken." She nodded. He shook her hand before releasing it and walking towards the Professor. He extended his hand towards her as well, which in return he received a raised eyebrow. He shrugged. Still confused, she tool his hand and shook it. Giving a single nod, he walked back towards the locker room to get a change of clothes. Meanwhile, Glynda went to set up another match.

Meanwhile, Alex had changed and was going back to take a seat with the rest of his team. He had removed the butt/handle and he had taken off his watch. The Shotgun was on his back but he put it on the table with the rest of his weapons.

"Why is everything dissembled?" asked Yang.

"Well, the moldable butt/gun kind of is stuck in this position, so that has to be thrown away. The shotgun is fine but I need to load it, and the watch is overheating." He pointed to the device in question, which was showing an error on the display.

"I thought you ironed out the overheating problems when you made the second version of it." Asked Ruby. He rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Well…I did. How? I used very low power components. I think you remember when the second prototype locked up completely at Signal during my match with that kid with the spikey orange hair." She nodded "Well, not soon after, I developed this while I was in Atlas… The climate did help tremendously in keeping it cool. So I stuck some of the best parts I could manufacture into this small form factor…Unfortunately, we aren't in Atlas….So…Yeah."

"How did this not happen during our fight with Torchwick?" Weiss asked.

He just shrugged. Alexis touched the bottom metal part where it lays it on the wrist.

"Holy crap that's hot." He just nodded.

"Yeah…" Glynda got everyone's attention once again.

"Ok, up first, Team CRDL!" The four of them walked down the aisle and made their way to the Center of the Field. "Their Opponent, Ms. Pyrrah Nikos!" Team RWBY and JNPR all looked at her, while she just looked on, wide eyed. Getting over her initial shock, she got up and made her way to change. A couple minutes later, she came out and waited for the match to begin.

"Begin!"

In a Span of about five minutes, Pyrrah was able to take down every member of Team CRDL. She ended the very one-sided fight by grabbing an already airborne Cardin by the neck with Milo, and slamming him head first into the ground.

Glynda approaches from behind Cardin who clutches his ribs.

"And that's the match."

"Lucky shot." Cardin then collapses.

"Well done, Miss Nikos. You, along with Mr. Rojo, should have no problem qualifying for the tournament."

Pyrrha nodded "Thank you, professor."

Glynda taps her scroll "Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match." She looks around at the observing students. "Any volunteers? Ms. Belladonna?" Blake slams her book shut and stares wide-eyed at Glynda. "You've been rather docile for the past few classes. Why don't you –"Mercury raises his hand.

"I'll do it."

"Mercury, is it? Well, let's find you an opponent."

"Actually, I wanna fight... her." he points to Pyrrha.

"Me?"

"I'm afraid Miss Nikos has just finished the match. I recommend you choose another partner."

"No, it's fine! I'd be happy to oblige."

Mercury struts into the arena, visibly sizing up Pyrrha. Their spar begins, he makes the first attack and is knocked down. Recovering quickly, he deflects an attack and begins trading blows with Pyrrha until she knocks him back with her shield.

Ruby turns toward Emerald, who is sitting behind her.

"Hey, your friend's doing pretty well."

Emerald gives a fake smile and then rolls her eyes as Ruby turns her back.

Mercury unleashes a series of powerful strikes. Pyrrha allows his kick to slam against her forearm before Mercury manages to disarm her, a kick impaling her blade into the ground. Pyrrha uses her Semblance to redirect the direction of Mercury's next kick. As she charges him with her shield, he shoots off of it and turns his back to her. Pyrrha tries to rush him again.

"I forfeit."

Pyrrha almost stumbles as she stops beside him.

"You... don't even want to try?"

"What's the point? You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart."

Glynda steps in. "In that case... Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match... again."

Emerald smirks. Mercury sneers smugly. Pyrrha has an annoyed and disappointed look on her face, and places her left hand on her hip. The Aura displays for Pyrrha and Mercury show Mercury's is changing from green to red to indicate his loss.

"Next time you might want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent."

Mercury rolls his eyes while walking back "I'll be sure to do that."

An alarm sounds which jolts Blake, who has nodded off.

Glynda begins to address everyone. "That is all for today. And remember, the dance is coming up soon. And you all have your first mission on Monday! I will not accept any excuses.

As everyone leaves, Mercury stops beside Emerald.

"Learning is so much fun." He says to her in a sarcastic way, causing her to roll her eyes.

Walking outside the classroom, Yang starts talking to Blake.

"So Blake," she grabs Blake by her shoulder "You uh, doing okay?"

Blake shuts the book she was reading "I'm fine."

"So, are you excited for the dance, it sounds pretty awesome right?

"What?"

"The dance! Aren't you excited?"

"I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought you of all people would get that."

Blake walks away past her team. Yang just looks down sadly muttering "oh…"

Ruby, Weiss, Alexis and Alex glanced at each other before Ruby went to comfort her sister.

"It's ok Yang, she'll come around to it." Yang nodded, looked up at her and smiled at her.

"You're right. I shouldn't let her bring me down. Speaking of which, I have somewhere to be." She proceeded to run off. "Later!"

"So, now what?" Ruby asked.

"We are going to the library to do our work." Said Alexis. Before anyone said anything else, she grabbed his arm and dragged Alex off with her…literally dragged him as his feet were just grinding along the ground. Weiss and Ruby just looked at him as she dragged him along before glancing at each other.

"Do you think he has a clue?" Ruby asked while looking at them.

"I doubt it. He is a very smart person and incredibly practical in most situations." Ruby nodded in agreement. "But sometimes…he can be a bit…dense… And you have to be as subtle as a tank in a church." Ruby nodded again in understanding…many examples coming to mind.

"The question though, is he as dense as Juane is about Pyrrah?" that was a tough one to call. But Weiss had full confidence…sort of…somewhat.

"Possibly." There was a small silence before Ruby spoke up.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Weiss turned and started walking towards the dorm.

"Since they are going to the library to do their work, I am going to the dorm to do the same."

"Mind if I go too?" asked Ruby? Weiss turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to study, or goof off like you usually do?"

"I promise I'll study!" Ruby was next to Weiss as they walked back to the dorm.

Weiss didn't mind Ruby's company. Having the red head in her presence calmed her, Similar to those relaxing baths. She couldn't quite put her finger on way that was, but she wasn't going to complain. Of course though, she wasn't going to tell Ruby that.

Weiss had grown up most of her life away from any sort of parental figure. Her father was ruthless when it came down to things such as her studies. He would always be in his office or away from home on business while she would be cooped up in the Studies Room or the library for hours on end, only being able to leave to eat or to go to the bathroom. Weiss mother on the other hand, wasn't like that at all. She genuine cared for her and for her sister, Winter Schnee. Her Mother, Ivory Schnee, would constantly fight her father, Nikolaus Schnee, about not only their daughters, but almost everything. They were married not out of love, but because of Business. They were in an arranged marriage. Ivory had told Nikolaus that their daughter wouldn't fall to the same fate as her. But her father wouldn't have any of that. Since they always bickered about everything and anything almost all the time, Weiss had to take the brunt of his anger. Constantly having to face him in fencing matches and what not. When Weiss decided to become a huntress, her father wanted to use it as an advantage for the inevitable arranged marriage that he would set up for her.

Her mother was obviously livid when she found out, but he already had a way to shut her up, permanently. One day, while Ivory was in Atlas for a Public Relations event, her limousine was rigged with explosives. The blame fell onto the White Fang, who weirdly enough took the fall. Weiss didn't know it was her own father, so her hatred for the White Fang multiplied tenfold. Around the age of fifteen, Nikolaus started to set her up with Suitors. For months, while she trained with best to become a huntress, she was also set up with many suitors. Each one of them rejected easily. She wasn't interested in any of them. In fact, she wasn't interested in men at all.

Weiss discovered that she was a Lesbian (or Homosexual if that term is a derogatory term, wouldn't want to upset the Feminists…) around the age of 12. Her mother knew and was happy that she had found her preference. Her father never knew, due to her fearing his backlash. So she had to pretend to go on those stupid setups with Men who were older than her, were arrogant, and sometimes they hit on someone else INFRONT of her, or something similar. Though the very last suitor she went with was completely different from the rest of the lot, and she smiles to herself every time she remembers what happened.

They both made it to the dorm and while Weiss took a seat, Ruby went to the bathroom.

Weiss began to think about everything that has happened since she arrived to beacon up to this point. Being placed on a team with a hyperactive, childish dolt as a leader, her very brute like sister, an ex-white fang operative, someone who could rival Pyrrah in the Arena, and the Head of a very, very large company. Being partnered up with said dolt. They have spent a lot of time together, and despite Weiss being….Weiss, she liked the company. Spending time with Ruby was something that slowly was becoming a favorite past time of hers. Not that she would admit it to anyone. She liked how Ruby would become childish at the sound of the word "Cookie" or how she would beam at Weiss when she said yes to anything. Or her eyes, and how she got lost in them. Blue eyes widened as she realized something.

'Well shit, I think I have a crush on my partner and team leader. No, I know for a fact I have developed feelings for my partner and team leader.'

While Weiss was caught up with her thoughts in the room, Ruby was in the bathroom.

Ever since Ruby had been paired up with Weiss, she took every second she could to admire her. She didn't care that Weiss came from a wealthy background. Or really anything of the sort. The fact that Weiss finally warmed up to her made Ruby feel happy. She had come to grips by now that she had more than friendly feeling for Weiss. But she knew that Weiss didn't swing that way. So for Ruby, it was just a fantasy. Regardless, spending time with Weiss was still something she liked to do. And despite her cold attitude, Ruby knew she could be nice if she tried….really, really hard… Sighing to herself, she washed her hands and left the bathroom. Stepping out she saw Weiss, who seemed to be in thought. Ruby watched her and drank in all her features. Her pale complexation, her ice blue eyes, snow white hair that was in a high off centered pony tail. Looking down, she noticed her smaller… ahm

'Bad Ruby, stop thinking naughty thoughts.' She took a seat next to Weiss, who snapped out of thought when she took a seat.

"So, where do we start?" Weiss grabbed a one of the textbooks, signaled for Ruby to grab her own before starting on the subject at hand.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait... Anyway, the boats gotta be faster, so I added a turbo charger...Anyway, I am in the process of editing and other stuffs on the previous chapters. You will receive a chapter update to inform when that happens. Anyway, I am thinking of starting another side story like the ones that have popped up recently. Basically within the same story universe, but a lot of funny things, innuendos, and people being dense thins happening. I know, you are saying "But you haven't even finished your first one, and you are slow to update, yet want to take on another project?" Yes. That one will most likely be updated a lot more due to the nature of it being funny stuffs, eventual fluffy moments that are funny, or just weird occurrences. Anyway, help a brother out and leave some feedback. Every bit helps! Hopefully you enjoyed this so far, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 13

* * *

Meanwhile, with A&A…

"Come onnnnnn… Atleast stop digging your feet into the ground damnit!" Alexis groaned as she dragged Alejandro to the library. She hadn't spent time with him recently…With the last time they were together being two days ago…Okay so maybe it hasn't been that long, but damn it she didn't like the fact that she was alone at the library. Some guy with blue hair and googles came in and started hitting on her the other day and she had to leave in order to get him to back off.

"Lex, why can't we just go to our dorm?"

"Because, Weiss and Ruby are there. And you know very well that Weiss will actually make you study."

"Fair Point…"

Alexis had dragged him to their usual set of chairs. She was somewhat surprised at how easily she was able to drag him here, despite him dragging his feet onto the ground. Once they took their seats, they took out their text books, Alejandro took out 'an' laptop, which caught Alexis by surprise.

"A laptop? What other electronics did you bring here?" he contemplated for a second before answering.

"Well, my scroll, my watch, My Company Tablet, my personal tablet, my laptop, an external dock that connects to my laptop using PCI Express…. And a backpack with a very big battery reserve." She just blinked before shaking her head.

"Right."

As they were doing their work, Alexis couldn't stop thinking about what she saw during his sparring match against that one girl. They hadn't talked about their own semblances, so maybe that teleporting thing was his semblance. Her mind must've wandered for some time because eventually Alejandro noticed that she was spacing out.

"Lex? Alexis? You alright?" she blinked before she turned to face him, an expression of concern on his face. She nodded and gave him a smile.

"I'm fine, thanks for the concern." He raised an eyebrow.

She sighed "I was just thinking about your match against that one girl in Goodwitch's class."

"What about it?" she drummed her fingers nervously and bit her lip, trying to find a way to word her question without sounding too nosy.

"Your Semblance. And Weapons…"

"What about them?"

"Well, you never told us what your semblance does exactly. You told us about it, but never explained what it actually does. As for your weapons, well you said they overheat. And you showed off two new ones. So I was just wondering…"

"You curious about all this." She nodded. He shrugged, and closed the laptop. He turned towards her so he knew that she had all his attention.

"So my semblance, like I said before, is an artificial Semblance. Whatever chemicals were put into my body most likely stopped me from being manifest my original semblance. To cut a long and complicated story short, I can do a lot. Teleportation is one. Then I can do this thing where I can surround myself with my aura and like a torpedo, launch myself at a considerable speed."

"That Sounds impressive" He just nodded and grinned.

"Then there is this one move where I do a back flip, hit my opponent with my knee, then forward and again hit them with my knee. After which I do the torpedo thing but this time I go upwards, do a 180, and push him while in the air to speed up his fall, with the help of gravity boost down and land on him or her. Nine times out of ten I land on my opponent's abdomen." She just raised her eyebrows and nodded. "And I can sometime land on my opponents head." Alexis' Eyes widened.

"Oh my God, won't you kill them?"

"No, I mean I can just land on someone's head. Not as part of the other thing. Like if we are just standing in the arena, I can jump and land on your head."

"Like an Airship to a landing pad or something?" he nodded "Ah, fair enough."

They were both silent for a couple of minutes. What he described to Alexis was difficult to imagine so she wanted to see him perform those moves soon. They sounded cool but watching them should be better. Now onto the next order of business…

"Ok, now can you tell me the deal with your weapons? Aren't you supposed to be Mr. Fancy Pants with uber cool weapons or something? What's the deal with you having common people weapons problem hmmm?" she said that in a teasing tone. He just chuckled and shook his head.

"Did I disappoint her majesty?" he mocked back. She just smiled.

"Yes, her highness is very much disappoint in you. Son, I am disappoint." He then burst out laughing, and she immediately broke down in laughter as well. Eventually they both settled down, Alejandro wiping a tear from his eye. He tried to compose himself before answering.

"Alright, you highness." He took off his watch and placed it screen down on the table. "This is like the fifth version of this concept that I have built so far."

"Really?" he nodded

"Basically, it's a somewhat very powerful computer within the form factor of a wristwatch. I tried it with normal wristwatches, but it was almost impossible. Once the SmartWatch concept was unveiled, I was able to make something that worked. It's simple. I have the processor die on a small motherboard, the RAM, the memory, and screen all fit in here. The Problem with this particular version is that the processor I chose is notorious for being hot as hell."

"Or Yang"

"Or as Hot as Yang…if your into that." he winked at her which caused her to blush profusely. She then proceeded to hit him in the shoulder…again

"I've always wanted to make a joke like that…totally worth it… whatever it mean't" her blush subsided and was replaced with confusion on her face.

"You don't know what….Wait what?"

"Yang just told me to say it when the time was right, I guess the time was right judging by your reaction" he just shrugged. She just blinked, before waving him to keep going with his story.

"Keep going…"

"Anyway, that basically it. This wasn't exactly made to withstand such high temperatures. At the time, when I lived in Atlas, it was fine. Now, not so much. Back to the drawing board I suppose."

"What about your shotgun thingy? And your naming schemes suck by the way."

"Yeah, I know. BUT I DO NOT CARE so ha." Alexis just rolled her eyes and smiled. She enjoyed spending her time like this. No one really liked spending time with her as a kid. Her parents were either always busy working, or fighting. Her Older brother was the closest thing she had to a friend, and even he couldn't always be there. As she grew up, people approached her, but only for her looks. She didn't really know what she missed out on until she came to Beacon.

"Back to the shotgun thingy…"

"Alright, Alright… The shotgun is just that, a shotgun. Its lever action, the barrel was cut a full ten inches, and can shoot anything that is in a shotgun shell….or certain rifle cartridges if need be." She nodded "And because I am me, I am special. SO, I added some technologies to it. Electronic Stability Control reduces the kick. Automatic Rechamber allows me to fire twice without using the lever action. Electronic Suppression System shuts it up, making it a quiet medium range killing machine. Then there is the MBD, the ATS, and the 3DAPS" he said that as if it's the simplest thing in the world. Alexis was really confused at all the initials at the end.

"Um, what do the last three initials mean?" he blinked, remembering she didn't exactly know what they meant.

"Um, sorry. Didn't mean to confuse you." He rubbed his head sheepishly. "MBS is the Modular Barrel Design, I can expand or retract the barrel to fit the round it will fire. ATS is the Anti-Lock Trigger System that stops it from jamming by causing the barrel to heat up internally to extreme temperatures and melt the jammed cartridge. And the 3DAPS is the PNA exclusive-for-me 3D Ammo Printing System…Self Explanatory…" Her eyes widened at hearing all that. How did he do all that to a gun? "The look on your face possess a question. That question is 'How did you do that' right?" She just nodded dumbfounded. "Well, I used magic…and dark sorcery."

"How do you know what I am going to ask, before I ask it?" He shrugged.

"You have to learn to cover all bases. It's a habit for me now." She 'ahhed' before nodding. Well, there was more information she didn't know about him until know.

Eventually, they got back to studying. About fifteen minutes later, they were bored of studying and started talking again. Their conversation was just about small things like food and what not. Alexis discovered that his diet was a very poor one, consisting of Fries, Burgers, and mainly junk food. Oddly enough he hated hotdogs, which she found weird. They kept chatting until they noticed Blake walking by. They waved at her, but she didn't seem to notice them. Alexis shrugged and they went back to their conversation. Something about Vacuo FC being better than Atlas Saint-Germain or something.

* * *

The Faunus is sitting at one of the library tables with a holographic screen in front of her. She is obviously sleep-deprived, barely being able to focus on what she's seeing... until a small, bright red light appears on the screen. Moving up and down, Blake's eyes follow it down to her hand, then disappears entirely. She looks behind herself, irritated, but no one walking among the tables is the culprit.

Turning back to the computer, she starts typing on the keyboard before the laser dot appears on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one with a laser. The red point shows up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake scowls and pounds her fists on the table. She stands up from her chair and finds the light on the floor, following it blindly through shelves of books until both the dot and Blake turn the corner, only for Blake to bump into someone and shaking her out of her more "animal" instincts, and into...

"He-lloooo!" Yang waves with her left hand as her right holds the laser pointer.

"What are you...?"

She grabs Blake's arm. "We need to talk."

"Ahh!" Yang whisks Blake away and they both end up in Ooblecks Empty classroom

Blake addresses the blonde, who is sitting cross-legged on the main desk of the empty classroom they're in "Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath.

Yang just sighs "I don't want you to stop; I want you to slow down."

Blake paces with her arms crossed, irritated. "I don't have the luxury to slow down."

"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity."

Blake just scoffed "The 'necessity' is stopping Torchwick."

"And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." She pats the part of the desk across from her.

Blake looks away for a moment until she relents and takes a seat, draping her legs over the desk's edge. "Fine."

"Ruby, Alejandro and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Both our parents were Huntsmen. You already know that his parents were champions of Remnant. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then... one day she left for the mission with his parents, and they never came back." She looks down as she says this, and Blake looks sorry for her. "It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? Alex tried his best to comfort her, despite him losing both his parents. And my dad just kind of... shut down for a while. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first... was my mom." Blake looks amazed at this information as Yang keeps talking. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer,Uncle Qrow, and both Alex's Parents, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since."

Blake then asks the only question she can come up with.

"Why did she leave you?

Yang sighs, then turns to the chalkboard. "That question... Why?" she gets off the desk and walks to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk. "I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her."

As the reminiscent blonde starts drawing on the board, she begins talking again

"Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother. One day in particular, I waited for Dad to leave the house. That day, Alex was with Uncle Qrow. I put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes..."

"There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time."

On the chalkboard, Yang finished her drawing of the events she had just told to black, finishing by drawing a clockwork eye.

"My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night."

Blake tries to explain to Yang the difference "Yang... I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just-"

Yang is still facing the board, fists clenching in irritation and anger. "I told you: I'm not telling you to stop! I haven't! To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?"

"You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!"

"No, you don't understand!" she turns around sharply to reveal her red eyes and the sound of flames bellowing behind her. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?"

"I'd fight him!"

"You'd lose!" She pushes Blake away.

"I can stop him!" Blake tiredly tries to do the same to Yang, but she doesn't even budge.

"You can't even stop me!"

She pushes Blake again, knocking her to land on the desk. Yang, still angry-eyed, walks toward Blake as she gets up, but then does the unexpected and embraces her in a hug, her eyes going back to their normal purple.

"I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest." She pulls back to look at her partner. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about." She steps away and starts walking past the startled Blake. Yang winks down at Blake, and Blake stares at the blonde, a slight blush dusting her cheeks, as Yang leaves before sighing heavily and walking away, leaving the all-seeing eye on the board.

* * *

At Team RWBY's Dorm.

"You what?"

Ruby repeated what she had just said "We want you to go to the dance."

Blake just scoffed "That's ridiculous."

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head." Said Yang, not trying to bring up the events of earlier.

Weiss then began counting facts on her fingers. "You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering."

"You think I care about grades? People's lives are at stake!"

Yang puts her hand on Blake's, lowering it. "We know, and we're also trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to."

Ruby added onto Yang's statement "Thanks to you and Alex, we know that they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale."

Weiss nodded "And, the Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months."

"Don't forget about the PNC-SDC's missing military tech too."

"But there's still unanswered questions!"

Alexis added her input, sitting next to Ruby. "Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!"

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day."

Alejandro had stepped out from the bathroom, and added to the conversation. "Overstressing yourself is just going to make your life difficult in the long term. A break could do you wonders."

"Plus, it will be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it".

"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!"

Yang pumps her fists which causes the bed to bounce Blake. Both Blake and Alejandro respond incredulously.

"Wait, What?!"

"Excuse me?"

Weiss began to explain the situation. "Team CFVY's away mission lasted quite longer than expected."

"So, Weiss and I decided to pick up where they left off. And now we can make sure you can have the perfect night."

"And once it's all over, we'll return for our search, rested and ready."

"So what do ya think?" Ruby asks, enthusiastically.

"I think this is a colossal waste of time." Blake walks away from the group and opens the dorm door. "I'll be back later." She proceeds to walk out of the room, closing the door on the way out

"Great."

"She can't keep going on like this."

There's a knock at the door and Weiss approaches and opens it. Jaune appears at the door with a guitar. Weiss is surprised, and behind her, Ruby is defying many laws of physics, with a finger under her chin. Yang is looking on surprised, Alexis is also defying many laws of gravity, and Alejandro is watching next to Yang, with an open bag of chips in his hands.

"Weiss!" he winks at her.

Weiss then slams the door in his face.

"Oh, come on, open the door! I promise not to sing."

Weiss pinches the bridge of her nose. Sighing, she looks on to the group, hoping for some assistance. All she receives is a hesitant shrug from Alexis. Seeing no other options, she opens the door.

Jaune begins to sing again "I lied! Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance?!"

"Are you done?"

He shrugs "Yes?"

"No." She shuts the door in his face. Turning around, she sees the others staring at her. "What?"

The three girls and boy are standing precariously.

Yang points to Weiss "And that is why they call you the Ice Queen."

Ruby and Alexis finally take notice that they are defying many laws of physics, and finally collapse. Alejandro just glances at them, taking another handful of chips.

Weiss just scoffs "All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides, I already have a date in mind."

Yang was surprised. "Really?" Weiss just nodded with a smirk. She did have a date in mind, but she would need some help. And she had a couple people in mind for conscription to her plan.

"Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go." Yang looked out the windows, hoping that the Faunus would take what she had told her to heart and reconsider going

* * *

A Few days later…. Auditorium.

Ruby was resting her head on her hand and staring into the distance before she's startled by someone slamming their palms on the table she's at.

"I need you to pick a tablecloth." Says Weiss, smiling. She slides two squares over to Ruby, both seeming to be similar shades of white.

Ruby was confused. "Aren't they both the same?"

Weiss sighs in frustration. "I don't even know why I asked."

Weiss walks away as Yang comes in carrying a massive sound speaker on her shoulder, which bounces her sister and the table she's moping on again to jump in the air when she drops it on the ground. She is brushing her hands as she approaches Ruby. "So, have you picked out a dress yet?"

"What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going?"

"Oh, don't worry; she's going." She had a plan to get the Faunus to come, she just needed some conscripts to help her with her plan. She looks over to Weiss, getting exasperated. "Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!"

Weiss walks up to Yang, pointing in her face. "If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!" The girls are interrupted by the sound of doors opening.

Alejandro walks in with Alexis next to him. He is eating a bag of chips, seeming unfazed by the heat. Alexis meanwhile is red in the face. "Wait, the dance is gonna have fog machines?"

Weiss steps up to him, grabbing a chip and instantly regretting it. "We were thinking about it...Oh God that's hot!" she quickly runs off to get a drink.

"That's pretty cool. I mean, who doesn't want a fog machine?" Yang nodded in agreement. She also grabbed a handful of chips and before walking off to get the other speaker.

"So, I am assuming because of all this planning, you're all excited the dance?"

"Pfft... Yeah, right!"

Yang grinned, setting the speaker down. "Laugh all you want. I'll be turning heads!"

Weiss came back, her face back to its normal pale color. She had a water bottle in her hand with her doilies in the other. "What are you two wearing?"

Alexis shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't exactly pack for that. I'll just go dress shopping I guess." Yang and Weiss both looked at her with excited looks.

"We should all go dress shopping! I know this great place in Downtown where they have some of the most beautiful dresses!" Weiss said, enthusiasm leaking so much that Ruby was a little bit scared.

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm up for it. What do you say Lex?"

"I don't know…" she was interrupted by Yang.

"Come on!" Yang got close enough to where she could whisper to her and not be heard by her teammate. "I'm sure we can find a dress to impress that certain someone…Eh?" They both turned over to the person in question.

Ruby and Alex were sitting at the table, Ruby had grabbed the remaining chips from the bag. Alejandro was on his tablet, doing something with a pen on it.

Alexis blushed furiously. "W-what?" Yang's grin just got wider.

"Oh come on, everyone on this Team, Team JNPR, and Possibly even CFVY know that you have some more than friendly feelings for your partner. It's obvious to us, and to everyone except for him…"

"In the same way how you have similar feelings for Blake hmmm? I've seen how you try to cheer her up, and how you like spending time with her in the library. Looks like we are on the same boat then huh? With our respective partner's situation and all…" It was Yang's turn to blush furiously. Alexis just smirked at her.

"Wha-I do not!" she said that loud enough to get everyone's attention. "Heh, sorry"

"Yang, you ok?"

She just nodded "Yup, no problem here, just keep doing what you're doing Rubes! Just us having a little conversation… Over here…" She said that last part with gritted teeth and a forced smile. Ruby just shrug and went back to moping. Alexis just raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, I get it. How about this, you help me with Blake, and I will help you with him." He pointed to the person in question. He was now playing a game with Ruby, trying to cheer her up. She just saw a giant ball and some small blue cars chasing it.

"Hmm, I guess that seems somewhat fair. But you too need to talk more, get to know each other a lot more. It's been sometime and while you do know somethings about her, you need to find a common ground." Yang sighed.

"I know, but it's hard ya know? With the way she is. All to herself, it's hard getting anything out of her. But I'll try harder I suppose." Alexis nodded.

"Right, try to find something that she could be interested in. Obviously don't change who you are just for her, but look for things that she would like to do." Yang sighed again, but nodded.

"I'll try." Alexis smiled. "Now back to what we were discussing, the person YOU are trying to impress-" They look back to see Ruby and Alejandro trying to push a very large ball into a goal with small blue cars on the tablet screen. "What do you think he'll wear?" Alexis just shrugged. They hadn't talked about the dance.

Yang looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, that answer won't _suit_ us at all…Eh? Eh?" She elbowed Alexis as she just pinched the bridge of her nose. Yang then yelled over to her Red wearing sister and the boy with a weird obsession with Blue.

"ALEX!"

At that moment, Ruby yelled "GOAL!" and he just slumped back.

"WHAT? I AM OCCUPIED AT THE MOMENT!" he gestured at the screen, which showed a score of 1-0.

"WHAT ARE YOU WEARING TO THE DANCE?" He paused the game before getting up and turning to them.

"I-uh…decided that I'm not going" Team RWBY had all stopped what they were doing. Weiss obviously was the first to break the silence.

"What do you mean you're not going?" Yang and Alexis were instantly next to her, also looking at him questioningly.

He shrugged "I don't know, I didn't like going to social gatherings before. I just don't find the appeal of going if I'm honest." Yang saw an opening and went for it.

"Is it because you can't get a date?" he just scoffed.

"Partly, but mostly because I don't find anything exciting about them."

"Come On, you have to go!" Ruby was the one who said that, still sitting at the table. "First Blake, then you. If anything, I am the one that should be upset, I have to go dress shopping…bleh" she made a sick face to emphasize her point

"Please, Alex, come to the dance, it'll be fun! I swear on it…" Weiss declared, Yang agreed behind her.

He sighed "I don't have anything to wear. Obviously I can have some special clothing made, but I need to send measurements."

"Why don't you come with us? While we pick out our dresses, you can get measured!" Ruby nodded in agreement with Alexis' plan. Yang was mentally listing how this could favor her plan to get those two to stop beating around the bush…. Heh, beating…dirty.

Seeing as he couldn't find any other excuse, he accepted defeat. "Fine. BUT, I am only getting measured. I am not about to spend 6 zillion super billion hours in a store waiting for you all to pick one out and what not."

"Well, we need a male to give us input. And you're the closest thing we have." Said Weiss with a smirk, causing Yang's jaw to drop. Alejandro was not amused.

"The Ice Queen does have a sense of humor!"

"Haha, very funny Weiss." He pouted like a child. "Whatever, I'm bringing that-" He pointed to the object Ruby was playing with "with me if that's the case."

"So, to confirm, you are indeed going correct?" He nodded to Weiss question. "Excellent! Because I need your opinion on a lot of things." She grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him away.

"Not again….Ruby, take the tablet back to the dorm and plug it in once your done… I have a feeling I'm going to be here for quite some time…"She nodded before focusing her attention back to the screen.

They all watched as the Heiress dragged the CEO away, thinking they had seen everything. Alexis eventually opened up the next topic.

"So, what are we going to do about Blake?"

Ruby spoke up, pausing the game and looking at them "I still can't think of a way to change her mind. I've been texting her, but she just says 'no'."

"Guys." Ruby and Alexis look at her as she starts walking out. "Trust me; Blake will be at the dance."

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I think that bumblebee also needed a turbocharger, so there is that. I am trying to get more content out since I have a bit more time on my hands. Anyway, I don't have much to say right now. Except that feedback is always appreciated. Every bit helps...it doesn't matter how insignificant. Hopefully you enjoyed this so far, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 14

* * *

Blake was sitting outside, underneath a tree. She was reading her second favorite book, the one before the VERY steamy one that she enjoys so much. Unfortunately, she couldn't focus her attention on her book, her mind wandering back to the blonde that confronted her in the Classroom. Blake hadn't known about Yang's mother. And what she had said finally put some things into perspective for her. She had to put on a brave face for both Ruby and Alex growing up, the latter having lost his own parents. It also had sunk into Blake that she was hurting herself and her team. She indeed slept little, trying to get as much information on Torchwick as she could. She would snoop where she shouldn't be, an example was digging around Alex's Company Tablet for any information. She obviously wouldn't say anything to him, fearing that he would be livid and possibly try to incarcerate her. It was a felony after all. She also didn't shower that much during that time, smelling like sweat. And her eating habits had taken a dent as well. She had lost well over fifteen pounds. Coupled with the fact that she wasn't keeping her muscle mass, she looked a lot more sickly, looking a bit more paler than normal.

Something else was itching at her as well. Yang. She had been partnered with Blake during initiation. The blonde had tried, and somewhat succeeded in getting a friend out of Blake. She got her to talk a little bit more, laugh, and overall not feel as this was just another place to stay. She found it weird, but Blake beginning to think of Beacon as home… Only being here for some time that was something she didn't think would happened. Blake believed that Yang had made it feel more…lively.

Speaking of the Blonde, recently, Yang had been acting a bit…off. She had been hanging out with Blake more often. Blake didn't take her as someone who would read, but she was surprised that Yang would occasionally grab a book and immerse herself in it. Sometimes so much so that when Blake would leave, she had to break Yang out of her trance. She would just smile and go wherever Blake went. She didn't necessarily mind that Yang was with her. Quite the opposite in fact, but she felt that the Blonde was trying to do something else. Evoke some other feelings from the Faunus. What that else was, is a mystery to her.

She sighed. During her time with the White Fang, she was to show no emotion. Stoic, similar to how Weiss was before, is how she was trained to be. Kill and show no emotion. Thankfully, she never did have to kill anybody. She was just for infiltration and similar missions. At most she would knock them out in order to make her life easier. The same couldn't be said for the person who was her partner during her time. He was her mentor, tutor, whatever synonym you can come up with. His name was Adam Taurus.

Adam was charged with training Blake during her time as part of the White Fang. He helped her improve her semblance, taught her how to fight, and helped her make Gambol Shroud, her weapon. As the White Fang grew in numbers, so did their bases of operations. Around the four kingdoms, there would be multiple White Fang hideouts around. Some in plain sight, others hidden in places no one cared to look. The two of them slowly rose through the Ranks and at one point, she had been promoted as Leader of the Southern Division of the White Fang, that last base she would be seen at.

Adam, as time went on, slowly became more and more detached from emotion. She saw how he would kill people without a second thought, not caring if they had a family or if innocent civilians would die. She repeatedly tried to get him to stop killing people, telling him that was not the point of the White Fang. One Day, on her last mission before she had decided to leave, they had gotten into a heated argument.

Flashback, sometime before Beacon

"Adam! Why can't you get it through those thick horns of yours and into your fucking head? Killing people is not the answer to our problem! We just look like animals to them!"

"Blake, I've had just about enough of hearing you say the same thing over and over and fucking OVER again! Sweet merciful dust, you're like a broken record player! I DON'T CARE what humanity thinks, they need to understand that this is THEIR FAUILT. Killing people will finally make humans respect us. WE DESERVE IT! I don't kill for fun, despite what you think, I do it so that humanity knows that everytime they make fun of us, bully us or anything of the sort, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY! So shut the fuck up, and get ready, our drop off is about ten minutes from here." He walked away into the next room of the Airship, knocking her aside with his shoulder. It was then that she had confirmed her decision to leave the organization.

The Mission was an overall success, they were able to take down most of the Atlesian Knight 101, saving some for White Fang distribution. They managed to capture all the dust on board, and capture two prototype of the Atlesian Paladin-290. At the time, it was only being developed only by the PNC and was codenamed "Project: Free Spark." And they captured all the dust that was onboard. However, the last thing that Adam was about to so is what pushed Blake over the edge. Adam was about to plant some explosives to detach the train to the cargo. That would have killed the conductors onboard.

"What about the Crew Members?"

"What about them?"

As they continued their mission, Adam had successfully defeated the Atlesian Spider Drone 115. He then noticed Blake on the Main car, staring at him somberly. He reached out for her, but she just uttered one word.

"Goodbye."

She cut the train from the Cargo, and thus signified her desertion of the White Fang.

She shook herself out of her thoughts. She was no longer a White Fang operative. She no longer fought against humans, no matter how resentful they were. Blake new that not all humans were bad.

Bookmarking the page she was last reading, she got up and dusted herself off. Stretching, she heard several bones pop and muscles relaxing. She looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun was setting. She checked the time on her scroll, and noticed a text.

Yang: Blake, if you are wondering where we are, we all got back from the auditorium. We're all just chillin in the dorm.

A small smile formed on her features. Shaking her head, she made her way to the dorm.

Sometime later that day.

RWY + AA - B had been in the auditorium for most of the afternoon. Yang had been setting up the 'megaton' surround sound system while talking to Alexis, who was helping set up the equipment. Ruby was playing on Alex's tablet while he was dragged around the Auditorium-turned-Ballroom as Weiss used him as an interior decorating consultant. Eventually it got late, so they all agreed to head back to the dorm.

Back at the dorm, they all found something to occupy their time. Weiss was studying, Alexis was reading a book, Yang was flipping through a magazine, Blake was using the Restroom, Ruby was playing some game with pretty lights and blocks, and Alex was busy on his Company tablet doing something boring.

"Rubes, What are you playing?" asked Yang.

"I don't know, you just line up some blocks and fill up the spaces…" Ruby shrugged. She was sitting next to Weiss on the small table in the dorm.

"You mean Tetris?" Alex asked, not looking away from the tablet.

"Isn't that some kind of infection?" Ruby asked scratching her head.

"That's tetanus." Answered Alexis, sitting next to Alex, not looking up from her book.

"I thought that was a sport?" that was Yang who asked. She was reading a magazine.

"That's Tennis." Alex answered again.

"Isn't that a guy in our Class?" Ruby asked again, confused.

"That's Dennis." Yang answered.

"Isn't he the person who fixes teeth?"

"That's a dentist." answered Weiss, not look up from her textbook.

"I thought he mixed up magical potions in a lab?"

"That's a chemist." Alexis answered again.

"Ohhhh that explains why our dentist looked at me so weird every time I went." Weiss looked up to her, raising an eyebrow.

"You called your dentist a chemist?"

"No, I called him Dennis. I guess he thought I had like a lisp or something." She just shrugged and went back to her game. Weiss blinked before rolling her eyes and going back to studying. Or atleast pretending to study. She needed to find a way to express her emotions to Ruby. In her mind, she was going through various scenarios, coming up with pre-determined outcomes. Many of them led back to Ruby rejecting her and slowly moving away from her. Weiss didn't want that to happen, she'd give anything for that not to happen. She was determined to tell Ruby, and a Schnee's determination will not stop for anything short of success. No matter the outcome.

On the very wide dresser, Alex was finishing up some minor business matters. Apparently someone had found the blueprints to the Electric HyperCharger concept he had lost some time ago. He had received the email along with a remote download link to securely ensure transfer of the Blueprints. And he had to fix a minor row that was happening at the office. Someone had decided to replace the signature coffee with some off brand one and people were complaining. If anyone should be complaining, it should be him! There would always be a shortage of IRN BRU's at the Main Office and he had to order in triple quantities just to make sure he had enough. Besides that there wasn't much. Checking the time, his eyes widened. He had forgot that he left something printing at the 3D printer in the Weapons workshop.

He got up and stretched, and Alexis looked up from her book as he stretched. He didn't notice her looking at him, and she thanked the various lords. There was no way she would be able to hide the blush that tainted her cheeks. His shirt had rode up slightly and she was able to see a little bit of what was underneath. When her blush subsided, she noticed that he had put his watch back on and was leaving the dorm.

"Where are you going?" Everyone's eyes were now on him. He just shrugged.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes, I need to pick something up." He left, closing the door on the way out. Alexis sighed and went back to reading. Yang wanted to say something cheeky, but she held her tongue. She did want to talk about the dance though. Despite it happening before the first match of qualifying, she was still excited.

"Alright! So now that the only boy is gone, how about we talk about dress shopping!" Ruby groaned.

"Ugh, do we have to? I hate wearing dresses, and I especially hate those stupid lady stilts." Weiss raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You don't know how to walk in heels?" Ruby shook her head, but Yang answered on her behalf.

"She hates wearing them because everytime she does, she ends up falling?" Ruby gave an undugnant reply.

"Hey! Thst only happened once-"

"Three times Rubes, it happened three times."

While the two of them bickered over Ruby's lack of balance in women's footwear, Alexis while smiling at the sisters. That was similar to how she would argue with her brother, Atticus. Speaking of which, it dawned on her that she had forgotten to write to him. She had promised to email him about the Academy and what not. Placing a bookmark on the most recent page she was on, she pulled out her scroll and started to type out an email. Unfortunately, because it wasn't a keyboard and instead it was a touch screen, she was getting frustrated with the mistypes and what not. A couple of moments later she resigned to typing it out on her scroll. She had seen people write entire essay's on the damn things!

She noticed Alex's laptop, sitting in in the corner near where he would plug in his scroll, charging. No on noticed that she had grabbed his laptop and turned it on. Apparently Weiss had joined the row with the sister, siding with Yang on how Ruby would look good in a dress. Yang not knowing about Weiss's feelings about her baby sister.

Alexis had begged him to allow her to put in her fingerprints on the scanner, and she somehow reluctantly agreed. Despite what Yang said about trying to touch his electronic tat. She remembers exactly what Yang had told her when she noticed her trying.

'Trying to get him to let you use ANY of his electronic shit would be like trying to wrestle with a Beowolf, with your hair…..'

Alexis rolled her eyes, obviously proving her wrong as she watched the computer boot up. She was amazed at that fact that as soon as she pressed the power button, the computer was on. Once it had gone to the login screen, she pressed her thumb into the fingerprint sensor that was next to the power button. The laptop made a small sound and went straight to the desktop. The background was the old company logo with an arrow pointing to the new one, possibly signifying the iminiate change of the company name. She clicked on the internet browser, and was instantly greeted by the last tabs he was on. She didn't want to pry, curiosity got the better of her and she went through the five tabs.

One was eBay, apparently he was incharge of the companies eBay store. She noticed how a lot of the products were selling for cheaper than what it costs to buy them from the store. The next tab showed what seemed to be a graphics card. She didn't care much so she moved on to the next tab, which was just his company website. The second to last tab was just to another shopping site, but it showed that his cart was full of performance parts for a car. She didn't understand that until she checjed the last tab, which had a picture of a car. The car in question was a silver Maibatsu Penumbra. It wasn't the last model before it was discontinued, but the model before it.

Not wanting to pry even more so than she already had, she opened a new tab and went to her favorite email client, Tink-Tank. Signing in, she quickly started to type out an email to her brother, detailing what has happened so far up to that point. Not seeing anything wrong, she clicked send and received a confirmation that it was sent successfully. She turned around just to see Yang and Ruby wrestling on the floor, Ruby being basically mauled. She quickly turned back to the mobile computer and signed out of Tink-Tank and closed that tab. She turned off the computer and placed it back where it was, plugging it back to the mains as well. She checked the time on her scroll and noticed that it had been about a half hour since he had left. Starting to get a little worried, she grabbed her scroll from her pocket and tapped on the messaging app, instantly bringing up the text message conversation they were having before. She then started going through them, reading each one and smiling as his responses were all goofy or weird or something similar. Their conversation ranged from a variety of topics, and even some that she didn't care about but were made intreseting. Snapping out of whatever she was in she began typing a text message, only to stop when she heard the door open and the person in question walk in. In his hand was what looked like a briefcase of somekind.

"Where did you go?" asked Yang, who had pinned her sister to the ground. Ruby was struggling to get her sister off.

"I went to pick…up…some…thing. What are you doing it?" He turned and noticed that Yang had indeed caught her sister in a crucifix pin, Ruby's legs kicking uselessly in the air. Yang had gotten up, dusting herself off.

"Ruby and I just got into an argument about going dress shopping and we decided to settle it the only way we know how.

"By wrestling on the ground?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Duh, how else are you supposed to settle a disagreement?" Alex nodded in agreement.

"She has a point Weiss, there is no other way." Her eyes just widened.

"Seriously? There are tons of ways, you can talk it out, and if you want to get some action, play some chess?"

Chess….seriously?" It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with chess?"

"Boring, no action, boring, and time consumingly boring."

"Consumingly isn't a word."

"Yes it is, I made it up right now. I can make it a word by just going onto the internet." Weiss attention suddenly went to the item in his hand.

"What's that?" she pointed to the all-black briefcase, his logo adorning both sides of it.

"This" he pointed to the item in question, "Is a briefcase. Inside it is the I.O.U that Alexis owes me due to a bet made in Professor Ports Class some time ago." Alexis just groaned and placed her head in her hands. "Because I like to do things in spectacular fashion, I decided to make this. I call it the 'Lein-in-the-Bank'. Basically, if you guys don't mind going along with this, what I do to cash it in is simply go to one of you, hand you the briefcase, and as long as the item I am asking for is not unreasonable, she must comply. Simple enough right?" Yang nodded, but Ruby was curious.

"Why get us involved?" he had thought of an excuse for that.

"Team-Building! Remember what our Professor said in Leadership Class? Got to find ways to build a stronger team." Ruby 'ahhed' and nodded in approval.

"Ok, but what do we get out of it?" Weiss asked, she didn't mind…much, but she wasn't just going to act as some kind of median for nothing.

"Hmmm, if you guys are up for it, we can maybe hold a small challenge for it?" That got Weiss attention.

"What kind of challenge?" he hadn't thought that far ahead yet…

"Uh, some kind of mini-tournament?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Said Yang.

"Ok, so what are the rules then?" Everyone was caught by surprise when Blake asked that question.

"Well, I..uh, haven't gotten that far ahead in planning…yet. Once I get everything though, I'll let you guys know. Hell, maybe Team JNPR will want to participate." Everyone nodded. "Great, so….nowwhat?"

"I say, we go and get something to eat, I am starving!" Ruby said.

"Alright, let's go eat."

Cafeteria

"And so that is that's the concept." Ruby had just finished explaining to Team JNPR the concept that Alex had come up with. Team JNPR actually thought is was a great idea and wanted to participate as well. But there were still question that needed to be answered. Luckily, they all had questions and started firing. Starting with Nora.

"How long can we keep it for? Because I know some people who would keep it and never use it…Ren…" Ren just turned around and crossed his arms. He thought about it for a second.

"How about max, a month?" They seemed to agree with that.

"How do we determine who gets the briefcase?" asked Pyrrah.

"Well, I had some time to think about it on our way to the cafeteria. I think we could hold a Mini-Tournament., similar to an IHA sanctioned style one. We obviously don't have enough people to go through some kind of group stage, so it will start out as a knockout. Undefeated person will get it." Pyrrah nodded, but then had another question.

"How do we make it fair? As in, how can we make sure that the same person doesn't win again?" Luckily, he had thought about 3 steps ahead with most questions.

"Simple, the winner will not participate and whoever was their opponent for the previous Final will automatically have a bye." Nora, Ruby, Yang, and Juane all groaned at the same time.

"I wanted to be able to get more than one…Great, thanks a lot Alex. Way to ruin the fun" Yang pouted. He just rolled his eyes. Then an Idea came to him.

"Ok, to appease the children-"he gestured to the four in question "How about this. If, and it will be put to a vote, the previous holder of the Briefcase faces the current holder in a spar during Glynda's Class, then it will automatically be placed on the line. Obviously it will now be put to a vote. All in favor, please raise your hands." Yang, Juane, Ruby, Nora, Pyrrah, Blake, and Ren all raised their hands. Alexis and Weiss didn't and were not happy either.

"That's not fair! What if Yang wins, uses it, then I win and we face in a spar?" Weiss asked.

"Good Luck to you then. If you lose, Bad Luck." She just sputtered in response.

"But, bu-"she was interrupted by Ruby.

"No buts Weiss! Democracy has spoken!" She just crossed her arms and hmphed.

"Ok, onto the next order of business. And that is what constitutes as inappropriate. First is using it to make someone do something humiliating. An example would be making someone run around naked, or wearing some ridiculous costume outside the dorms. Inside, in Private, the costume is fine, in public, no. If that rule is violated, then you are not only stripped of the Briefcase, but you aren't going to be allowed to participate in the next two Lien-in-the-Bank tournaments. Understood? I don't want to get in trouble because Yang thought it would be a good idea to send Nora naked on a mission or something." Everyone nodded. "Also, nothing that can do bodily harm, such as making someone Spar without their semblance or Aura. I don't need another lawsuit, and I don't want to get sacked from PNA because the board found out that my idea got someone killed." They nodded again. "Yes Yang?"

"What about forcing someone out, like on a date?" he placed his chin in his hand for a moment.

"I'll file that one under 'Legitimate' as long as the person is not in any bodily harm, knows about this, and won't die."

"Isn't the first reason the same as the last one?" Ruby inquired.

"Yes, but I need to make it clear."

"Fair Enough."

"Any questions?" Ren raised his hand. "Yes Ren?"

"So who gets it first?"

"I do, I made the damn thing, and it was my idea, and my logo is on there. That can be changed by the way."

"Right." Juane interrupted him.

"How do we cash it in?"

"You take it to anyone else besides the person who it will be used on. And it's a 24/7 thing too, it can be used at any time. As long as someone is there to receive it. Once that happens, they give it to me and the cycle starts from there." He understood, but had another question.

"Can it be used on people from the other team, like I can use it on someone from Team RWBY?" He sighed, knowing where this was going. Weiss also knew where this was going as well based on her reaction. They glanced at each other briefly before he answered

"Yes Juane, it can. Though if anything irresponsible is done, I am legally required to inform you that me, PNA, PNC, and all of the Subsidiaries and divisions of the company are not held liable if you are suddenly missing one or several body parts due to…extenuating circumstances, such as getting your arm cut off while on a date or something." Juane just nodded, spaced out as he daydreamed of Weiss and himself on a date in the city. Sighing again, Alex went back to address the rest of the group. "Any other questions?" Yang raised her hand "Yes Yang?"

"Can I make someone buy me something?" Someone will have asked that eventually…

"As long as it isn't ludicrously expensive and the person in question has the appropriate amount of funds for it." Weiss shrill voice got his attention

"What?!" Ruby tried to calm her down.

"It's for the team Weiss…for the team." She patted her back, calming her down.

Alex amended his previous statement, seeing Yang grinning. "It also must be appropriate. I know you would try to find loopholes somewhere." Her grin disappeared and went back to a pout.

"Oh boo, you're no fun."

"Yang, if I let you have 'fun' Ruby and I would be dead…probably. Ruby nodded in agreement, a cookie sticking out of her mouth. "Anything else?" he looked around, and saw that no one had anything else to ask. "Alright then-" She was interrupted by Alexis at the last second

"What if one of us face you in a spar?" She really wanted to get out of her precarious situation.

"Well, I guess I am placing it on the line as well I suppose." She nodded at his response, happy that it wasn't all bad. She then started to think about what he would use it for… And nothing humiliating or anything similar came to mind. So why was she trying to get out of it so badly? She started to reconsider it…

"Anyway, I think that wraps up that." It was getting late. Both teams started to make their way back to their dorms, and got ready for bed.

* * *

Author's Note: I need to work on endings of chapters...Anyway, I upgraded to Windows 10. Great, except because I had a brain failure I accidentally formatted my backup hard drive that had all the story...NOT TO WORRY as I have backed it up through the cloud and on my laptop. Also, I lost pictures and other stuff that I can recover later. To add salt to the wound, My NVIDIA Shield Tablet is being recalled (along with another 88,000) because the battery is a fire hazard...Great. I think that's all I have to say. I need to get White Rose and Bumblebee to get together already because I still need a fucking plot...Unless I just make it a fun, fluffy story or something. Which is somewhat of a possibility. I suppose. Moving on, I guess all I have to see is to leave some feedback, as it's always appreciated. Every bit helps...it doesn't matter how insignificant. And that hopefully you enjoyed this so far, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 15

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch's Combat Arts Class.

Team's RWBY and JNPR were standing on the second level railing of the Outdoor Arena. They were in their regular attire watching a spar between a fourth year and a third year. Since the Auditorium was being used for the upcoming dance, they had to go else where. So the 'Arena of Shining Light at Beacon' Complex was being used.(It is also known as the "Sports Complex at Beacon Academy" during FIGA World Cup sanctioned qualifying and Cup games). This is where the Vytal Combat Tournament Final will be held. The arena is capable of changing its environment into several different "biomes," including grasslands, fire, ice and desert like environments . Dust crystals are also scattered around the arena for combatants to use but since this was just a spar, all those features were not in use.. It's layout was similar to a Gladiators Coliseum but due to its multipurpose nature, it could be configured for a variety of other sports. The field accommodated association Griffball as well as Gridiron Grifball. But the grass was removed and in it's place was a hexagonal platform.. The Area's circumference was increased by another twenty five feet which allowed for greater mobility as well as it being more difficult to send your opponent out of zone. And the fresh air was nice too. What wasn't nice was the head…the sun was not being forgiving that day and both Yang and Alex were making sure it was known.

"Why are we out in the freaking sun? It's like a billion degrees!"

"Stop being so dramatic Yang, its only 87 degrees." Blake was sitting back in one of the chairs next to Yang.

"I agree with Yang, it's so hot holy crap." He was also sitting back, both Yang and himself having brought some sunglasses. Alexis just rolled her eyes.

"Maybe if you wouldn't wear a long sleeve underneath your BLACK shirt, maybe you wouldn't be so hot." Yang grinned, eye twinkling behind her shades.

"Lex, I though you liked him being hot?" She received a wad of paper in response, cackling as Alexis glared at her, blushing a crimson that rivaled Pyrrahs hair. Luckily, he hadn't heard that as he was too busy playing on his scroll…with a controller?

"Alex?" he paused his game and looked up "What is that?"

"My new scroll."

"No, the thing your new scroll is in…Waityougotanewscroll?" he nodded

"This is a small controller, I forgot it was in my bag. It still has a bit of a charge so I'm using it to play a game from my computer. Also, yes I got a new scroll."

"Why do you have a new scroll?"

"Because I like this one…"

"Where is the other one?"

"Hidden." She just rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks" he went back to playing. Ruby noticed and instantly wanted a turn, but was stopped short as Weiss confiscated both the controller and his new scroll. "Hey!"

"Pay attention!"

"They are sparring! What am I supposed to do? Take notes or something?" she nodded

"Yes! They could be in your group for qualifying!"

"Weiss, My group consists of two second years, Ruby and Myself…"

"Still, better to be prepared. Alexis, take this and don't give it back to him until the end of class." Blake, Yang, and Team JNPR watched the events unfold, finding it entertaining. Alexis took the offending scroll and accessory to said scroll, threw the controller into her bag and the scroll in her pocket.

"Great, bored, without my scroll, and I just remembered I left my laptop on….Great." He threw his head back. He then noticed his wrist getting warm. Glancing at it, he groaned again. "And the Watch is overheating because we are literally where the sun is shining brightest...Tremendous..."

The spar went on as both teams watched on, the fourth year student trampled the third year quickly, ending the match in seven minutes. Both combatants left the area and Glynda got everyone's attention.

"Ok, the next two spars will be on a ten minute timer in order to save some time, I have something I would like to quickly address at the end of class. The next two combatants are Mr. Neptune Vasilias and Ms. Alexis Blau. If you two would please approach the Area of Combat please.

"Weiss, you're going to need to hold this." She gave her his scroll. Then turned to him. "Can I trust you with this?" she held up her own scroll, receiving a nod, and quickly getting his own from Weiss.

"Hey!"

"I just need to turn something off." Turning off his laptop remotely, she gave his scroll back to Weiss. "Here." He turned his attention back to Alexis. "Yes, I won't go through your stuff." She nodded and gave him the piece of technology. Before she started to leave, a hand grabbed her by the wrist. Turning around, she saw the person in question, his sunglasses no longer covering his eyes.

"Ms. Champ of Atlas, Prove to me why you are indeed the current champion." Smiling and nodding, she made her way down. Determination was oozing from her as she wanted to make a good first impression of her fighting skills to her team. Yang and Pyrrah had seen the exchange in words, and both glanced back at each other. They knew what the other was thinking as they just grinned at each other before turning their attention to the field.

"Ms. Blau, Mr. Vasillias, Shake hands and go back to your respective side of the field. She walked away as they both shook hands.

"Hey beautiful, remember me?" She roled her eyes.

"I really tried not to." He just flashed another grin.

"Oh don't be like that! How about this, you, me , dinner at Lazio's in Vale?"

"How about, no?"

"Ok, I see how it is. Playing hard to get. Just make sure that you try hard enough." Letting go of her hand, he walked away to his side of the Area. Alexis wiped her hand on her skirt and went back to her side.

Due to the obvious problem of no screen to monitor the combatant aura, that information was sent to the student's individual scroll. In Alex's case, the watch bezel since; one, the screen is too small and two, the screen was off because it was overheating.

"Begin"

The match started and Neptune extended his weapon, which appears to be an energy weapon with at least four forms: a compact mode, a gun mode, a guandao mode, and a trident mode. The gun mode appears to fire some form of electrified projectile for long-range attacks.

The weapon is primarily gray, with a bluish light above the grip. The area between the weapon's grip and the butt end are fused, and the barrel is boxy, with light gray patterns on it.

The weapon's barrel contains a light blue tube where electricity is generated. What seems to resemble a dot-sight can be seen on the top of the weapon at the very front.

Aside from its gun form, the weapon can also transform into a glaive, the blade of which possesses a blue glow, suggesting it may be electrified.

The blade of the glaive can also split into a trident, which retains the electricity effect present in the gun form's barrel.

Alexis activated itself as well, named the DUEL DISK. It has a round guard that protects her left arm, a metal clamp that keeps it on her arm, similar to a watch band except longer and made out of dust and lightweight aluminum. The Front blade when fully extended is round similar to the end tip of a chainsaw, but curved in a sort of upward slope. There is a smaller guard that holds the front blade, a sharper, smaller and detachable rear blade, and the center gem that keeps the two as one piece is blue and made from Ice Dust. There is small bridge that connects the two guards. If the rear blade is detached, the front curved one will then retract into the smaller guard and the whole unit will detach itself from her arm, giving her a shield similar to Pyrrahs Akoúo̱.

She was having no problem against Neptune, gracefully dodging all of his attacks. His weapon was currently extended into its Trident form, which had three prongs similar to a fork, but the center was charged with electricity, not dust. However, she was not going on the offensive for some reason. That quickly changed when Neptune got a lucky shot on her. She was dodging out of a standard melee when he pressed a button at the end of the handle, which shot a bolt of electricity at her and sent her back several feet. She got to her feet slowly, looking up to see his smug smirk as he walked towards her. His weapon had shifted into a compact Railgun. Once she was up, he fired again. This time however, it hit the smaller gem on her weapon, and it began to glow a bright baby blue. Pressing a button near the larger gem, she sent the bolt back to it sender, along with ice dust particles that made impact with Neptune and froze him. It was doing damage apparently because his Aura Bar went from a slight orange, to a darker orange that was closer to a red. Quickly, she slid the holder that held both blades by the small grip of the smaller blade out of the smaller shield and her armguard turned into the aforementioned shield. The Holder and Grip in her hand then began to reshape and took the form of a long sword. With it she charged towards the frozen combatant and swung it upwards, causing the ice to shatter, electorally charge ice particles to release, and send Neptune into the air. She twirled once, similar to how Weiss would when creating glyphs, and with a gesture of her hands, sent a bolt of Electricity towards the flying blue haired man with enough force to knock him out of the field of play. That ended the match.

"And that is the Match. A Time set of 7:52.9. Congratulations Ms. Blau." She nodded and started to make her way back to her team. She had a minor cut on her shoulder, but she was fine. Her aura stayed in the green the entire time, but was sweating due to the outdoors and sun. Neptune on the other hand, was not cold.

"S-she C-c-combined i-c-ce w-wi-th electric-ccity? H-how?" He occasionally had a muscle spasm due to the electricity, but he was so damn cold! He laid down in the center of the field, hoping the sun would warm him up. Only to be sent away by Glynda.

Alexis started to make her way up to her team, and was stopped short of taking a seat by her team leader.

"Oh my god, that was AWSOME! You did all those fancy moves like Weiss does and made it look even more awesome and cool and-"

"Ruby! Let her rest. She just had a match and she is probably tired."

"its fine Weiss, he wasn't the easiest opponent I'll admit but I'm fine." Weiss nodded.

Alex was impressed. She did exceptionally well and wasn't even tired. She was all hot and sweaty, but he didn't mind. He found himself checking her out, her long toned legs, somewhat muscular arms, her long blonde hair which was free and tame, some of which was still matted around her forehead with sweat.

"Alex?" Yang had walked right in front of him without noticing. She startled him out of what he was doing. He placed a hand over his face, trying to hide it from her as he responded.

"Yes Yang?" He tried, he really did, to not look at Yang. Already imagining the blonde was grinning like an idiot for catching him off his guard. He made the mistake of facing her and instantly regretted it.

"I knew it!" she whispered quietly. "I knew it I knew it I knew it!" she just got a confused from him in return, along with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you know?" She faced him, that smug grin increasing in size on her face.

"You like her!" She whispered excitedly. He nodded.

"Yeah, she is a great person, not an asshole, not stuck up, friendly to all. What's not to like?" Yang's grin disappeared and she facepalmed.

"No, you dense brick, you have more tha-" she looked up to see Alexis walking over to them. "Hey, Alexis."

"Hey Yang." Yang got up, but whispered to her on the way back to her seat next to Blake.

"You're good, I confirmed my suspicions." She proceeded to walk away and Alexis took a seat next to her partner.

"So?" he looked up at her, noticing how she was grinning at him.

"So…What?"

"So, did I prove myself or what?" He rolled his eyes and gave an answer.

"You were K." Alexis' mouth opened and closed in shock…K?!

"K? What do you mean I was K?" He just laughed at her reaction.

"I'm joking, you did great. Better than me since you took him out in less than ten minutes."

"I'm sure you can do the same thing." He just shook his head.

"Nope."

"Nope? What do you mean 'nope?"

"I mean exactly that. You did better than I did, the end." She tried to say something, but was stopped everytime.

"Bu-"

"Ah"

"You di-"

"Nah"

"And Yo-'

"Nuh Uh" she just sighed and gave up.

"Fine." Before anyone could say anything else, Glynda began to address everyone.

"Ok, this will be our last bout for the day. Your scrolls will show your opponents, so pay attention to them."

"Weiss, can I get my scroll back now?" She was talking to Ruby, so she just threw it at him. Weiss's throw was…bad and it was way off and was going to hit Alexis. However, before it hit the sweating blonde, a hand caught it infront of her face."

"Weiss, please don't throw anything. You suck at it." Ignoring him, she kept chatting with Ruby.

On the screen, the list of students in the class was shown and the selector, Alexis leaned in closer to him, pretending to pay attention to the detail on screen. Out of the corner of her eye, she was trying to gawk at him…just a little bit. A groan startled her, before turning to face him completely.

"What?" he showed her what was onscreen. He was again selected to spar, his opponent was…

"ALEX, YOU SO ARE GOING DOWN!" They both turned to see Yang, a cheeky grin plastered on her face and her weapons fully extended. He was in trouble and knew it. The watch was still overheating due to and using it meant risking extensive damage to the internals. The most important piece, the memory module, is safe from everything due to its protective heat dissipating shielding within the device.. That is needed to manufacture the next version of his weapon. Then it occurred to him, his scroll also has the same functionality of his watch. Controlling important aspects of his semblance and what not. If he carried his scroll with him, damage to his weapon would be at a minimum. Getting up, he started to walk away before a smooth hand grabbed him by his arm.

"You can do it, I did. I am confident you'll do great. Go out and knock that smug grin off her face. Besides, I only like it when it's on your face." She covered her mouth immediately, hoping he didn't hear that. She looked up to see him smiling down at her.

"Thanks, how about this. I'll try to beat her. Just for you." She nodded, holding in her blush somehow until he turned and walked away. Face burning, he was stopped again, but from a Yell from Yang.

"Don't forget what we agreed on Yesterday! That briefcase is on the line!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, he made his way down to the center of the Circle. Yang wasn't too far behind. Once they were in position, Glynda made them shake hands before sending them to opposite sides of the Field.

"Good Luck, may the better combatant be triumphant."

"Thanks, I plan on it." Yang said before walking away. He walked away, but not before he looked up to the stands. Both Teams RWBY and JNPR were on their feet, Ruby was pointing and talking to Weiss excitedly, Nora was also talking excitedly to Ren, and Pyrrah, Juane, and Blake just looked down at the Field. Alexis was Standing on the opposite side of Weiss, also looking down when she noticed him looking up. She waved, hoping he could see. Her wish was granted as he returned the gesture. She then made the terrible mistake of turning to Weiss.

Weiss had a sort of smug grin plastered on her face, with Ruby having a smaller one as well. Everyone else had some sort of smile, as if someone told a joke and she wasn't in on it. Trying to ignore that, she placed her attention back onto the Field as Glynda addressed the combatants.

"Ok. Mr. Rojo, welcome back. Ms. Xiao Long, I assume you understand the rules, correct?" She received a thumbs up from the blonde. "Ten Minutes, person who has received the least amount of damage will be the victor." She looked to Yang, who was loading her weapons. Then to Alex, who was tightening the Watchstrap and turning the Bezel.

"Begin."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 16

* * *

"Begin"

They both charged towards each other instantly. They both reached the center and Yang threw a punch. Instead of throwing one himself, he instantly went on the defensive and was blocking the punches from her. Yang had the stamina, so she kept throwing punches and he was having a hard time blocking it. But that was part of his plan.

He has known Yang long enough to know that eventually, she'll start tapping into her semblance as she loses stamina. Once that happens, her Aura will begin to trickle down. And once that happens, she won't have enough strength once he goes on the offensive. Unfortunately, he didn't have his lever action shotgun "Model M: Type C". And his always on weapon, which is also his smartwatch and named "Project Des Voltsgalph X" was already overheating and was risking further damage. So he had no choice but to go on the offensive, or at least try to.

He saw an opening and took it, shoulder checking Yang and sending her back a couple of feet. She pushed herself right back up and ran back towards him. She was met by a kick this time that sent her back again, but this time she got up and didn't run to him head on. Instead he boosted forward, a sound similar to compressed air being used heard as he was face to face with her and begin to fight back with a flurry of kicks. This was one of the few ways that he had a chance in his situation, as Yang isn't the best against people who knew how to kickbox. As predicted, Yang had trouble and despite parrying several of his kicks, she was hit with one that didn't send her much more than twenty yards back. Boosting again, she was close enough to her and this time he was pushing her back slowly. He lifted a knee, trying to get her to flinch. They backed up several Yards as he continued his advancement. Both their legs were moving around, as if dancing, as he tried to get her to do something that would create an opening. They were both standing in a boxer's stance as he tried again to get her to flinch, which again she didn't.

He was running out of options. He could feel the device on his wrist beginning to get uncomfortably warm, and there wasn't much time left on the clock. The Aura readings, despite not being able to see it, showed that Yang had the advantage over him.

Meanwhile…

"Wow, she is really taking it to him isn't she?" Pyrrah nodded at Jaunes question, looking down.

Ruby wasn't surprised, she knew that Yang could easily beat him in hand to hand combat. They trained together, but they are worlds apart in terms of raw performance.

He was too dependent on his weapon for help, while she enhanced her weapon with her semblance. She couldn't kick, but she could parry them better than before. While he liked to build up an attack or counterattack, she went straight to the point and liked to lay down the pain as fast as possible. His attacks were easily countered because she knew them already. He was too predictable and too slow to execute. He needed to setup certain moves in order to execute them, something that Ruby knew simply could not be done. Ruby was honestly surprised he was still in it. Weiss noticed that Ruby had been quiet for a while now and got her attention.

"Ruby? Are you ok?" She shook the redhead, who blinked before nodding.

"I'm fine, just thinking." She received a raised eyebrow from the heiress.

"About?"

"The fight…and that somehow, Mr. Man down there is still in it."

"What do you mean "still in it?" I'm pretty sure he is a better fighter than most of us, barring myself and Pyrrah of course."

The Mistralian in question turned to them and waved before turning back to the action. "Hello!"

Ruby just rolled her eyes at Weiss.

"Weiss, he isn't some superhuman made out of God's Tears or Frankincense & Myrrh. He has a weakness, several in fact! And it just so happens that Yang some of them all." Weiss was still skeptical.

"And since you know them, what are they then?"

Ruby shook her head. "I am not going to throw him under the bus like that, but if you watch closely maybe you can find one."

Alexis had overheard their conversation and was watching more closely at the fight in progress.

Yang had taken several kicks, but he was beginning to lose stamina quickly. He performed a quick 3 kick move that Yang easily parried before spinning to land another. Yang collapsed her gauntlets before giving him an elbow to the gut to stun him. He grabbed his arm and twisted it before spinning and forcefully pulling him forward. She then spun in the air and performed a kick of her own, intending to send him into the ground and end the bout.

What she didn't count on was him boosting back.

When she performed her move, no one was there to receive it. Looking around, she spotted a dark blue ball of energy in the shape of a torpedo coming her way. Unfortunately for her, she noticed it too late and was on the receiving end of it. As he pushed into her, she felt as if her whole body was on the receiving end of a drill as he continued to move forward for several more feet before stopping and sending her to the ground. Quickly recovering, Yang went ran towards him again and closed her eyes as she threw a punch with all her strength in it.

She only punched the air.

When she opened them, he was nowhere to be seen. She instantly felt a heavy weight on her head. He had landed on her head! He then boosted up which knocked her down face first before landing a couple yards away. Getting up, she noticed a single blonde lock falling on the ground.

"Well, he's clearly done with the match…and his life." Ruby said. Blake was just speechless, does the man not value his life? Alexis however, was confused.

"Why? Clearly he caught her off guard." Ruby just looked at her, as if she was insane before it hit her. She doesn't know the consequences of what he had just done.

"Lex, No one, and I MEAN NO ONE, is allowed to touch Yang's her under ANY circumstances. During initiation, an Ursa was able to cut a small lock of hair. Half the size of the one he just cut…"

"And?"

"That Ursai was cooked to perfection, that's how bad Yang killed it." The blonde just rolled her eyes.

"Ruby, I'm sure you're just exaggerating."

"She's right Alexis, she was livid when that happened." Weiss looked down at the arena as she said that. "Yang loses it when anything threatens or does damage to her hair."

Alexis said nothing this time, instead opting to look down at the fight.

Yang saw as the single sliver of blonde hair slowly hit the floor. A second passed before the entire stadium's temperature skyrocketed. Yang was pissed, and everyone knew it.

"You…YOU!" She instantly flared up her semblance and glared at the person in question, red eyes that would kill someone by causing them force bowel movements. The person in question scoffed in response. But instead of saying anything, he just glared back at her.

They stood on opposite sides of the Field, neither of them daring to make any movements. If anyone was sitting down, they were on their feet. Ruby was leaning so far against the railing that she almost fell, being pulled back by Weiss.

Alex's body began to glow a bluish hue, slowly it surrounded his body seemed to Originate not from his wrist like she was expecting, but from his chest.

Yang did not expect that and they both didn't expect the horn that blared around the arena, which signaled full-time and the end of the match.

"The winner of this contest by decision, Yang Xiao Long. Congratulations Ms. Xiao Long. Though, I was expecting more form you Mr. Rojo. You may now return to your team." Yang blinked before her eyes turned back to the vibrant purple, nodding as she made her way back. Alex meanwhile, took a deep breath before he was able to regain control. But not before he turned to look at his Professor, who eyes widened when she saw the honey colored demonic eyes staring at her. He blinked as his eyes returned to their normal brown color, and made his way towards Glynda. He again extended a hand to her, which she hesitantly shook this time, before he walked back to his team.

Team RWBY and JNPR's jaws were all open, flapping about uselessly. What in the hell had they just seen?

"Well, that was…something" said Weiss. Ruby just nodded, jaw still slack. Team JNPR weren't faring too well either, with Juane's eyes wide and his jaw hanging, Nora even stopped her excited talking and stopped fooling around.

Yang was the first to make it up the stairs to her seat, murmuring something as she slowly petted her hair. The boy made it up not too long after but as he was passing Yang on the way to his seat, the blonde retaliated from the hair incident…with a low blow. Both Ren and Juane cringed as they saw the force that went into it, with Juane covering his own nether regions in reflex.

"That's for my hair!" said Yang as she kept petting her hair. He went down instantly, gasping and clutching below. Alexis immediately was at his side, making sure he was okay. And to add further insult to injury, Yang had to be the one to make a joke about the situation. "Alexis, are you going to check his injury? Maybe kiss it to make it better?" She wiggled her eyebrows and received a blushing glare from Alexis but before she could come up with a retort, a voice with a slightly higher pitch than normal spoke up.

"Fuck you Yang…And your bloody hair." He got up slowly, still clutching the injured area before going back on one knee.

Yang just rolled her eyes, believing that she didn't use enough force to bring him down. "Come on, it was a light tap of the knuckles! I'm sure that if I did the same thing to Juane or Ren, they would be fine!"

She turned towards the two of them, with Juane instantly re-covering his crotch area and Ren sitting with his hands over his crotch as well. "Cowards…"

"Yang, that was completely uncalled for. If you wanted to do that, then you should have done it in the arena. Where you would have been sent off immediately." Blake was looking down at her, not happy at what had just happened.

The Blonde tried to defend herself "I ran out of time! Otherwise I would have done that. Plus it's nice to see him down from his pedestal."

Blake raised an eyebrow."What pedestal? He doesn't brag like Weiss-"

"Hey!"

"And he doesn't try to say he is the best in the world. Yang, HE FIXED YOUR LAPTOP!" It was true, some time ago, the brawler was complaining that her laptop was being slow and taking too long to load simple webpages like Valebook. Within an hour of her giving it to him, it ran better than it did new.

"Fine, what do you propose I do then?"

Blake looked as if she was talking to a five year old. "Apologize?" She crossed her arms.

Yang just groaned, it was his fault! "Ugh, fine." She got up made her way to the boy in pain. He looked up, and she noticed that he was actually looking pale and Alexis was looking worriedly at him.

"Alex, are you alright?" she just received the "so-so" sign from his hand. She noticed that it was actually shaking. "Look, I just came here to apologize for doing that. It's just that you know that my hair is important to me." Again, she received another hand gesture. It was a thumbs up, Yang assumed he accepted her apology and shrugged before she went back to her seat. Glynda then went up to the center of the Arena to address her students.

"OK, before you leave, I have some announcements to make. First is that the Dance has been moved back a little, as our backup team handling this had some trouble acquiring the adequate number of tables needed. So what will happen is that the first match of qualifying will happen first, then the following day on Saturday is the dance, then Monday you have your first mission. Understood?" She received nods from everyone. "Next is that next Friday is the first qualifying session, so you will have next Wednesday and Thursday off to prepare for the Qualifying session and the Dance. Any questions?" No one raised their hands. "Ok, you are all dismissed."

Both Team's JNPR and RWBY were making their way out, using the main exit as it was the one nearest to the dorms. They were chatting amongst themselves about the dance and needing to get ready. Also something about Nora needing to get more pancake mix, but that was shot down by Ren. Meanwhile, behind them, Alex was holding his stomach. He felt nauseas and had already broke into a cold sweat. He was also pale, as Yang and Alexis noticed earlier. Pyrrah turned and inadvertently noticed him and the state he was in. She dropped behind to check on him.

"Alex, are you alright? You seem Ill."

He looked up, trying to meet her gaze. "Yeah, I'm not OK. I feel as if I'm going to throw up."

"Right, do you think you can make it to the dorm?"

He hesitated before nodding. "Possibly."

Pyrrah nodded. "Alright. Hopefully you don't puke all over everyone?" She tried to make a funny out of it, but it didn't really work. "Seriously though, Yang really let you feel that one didn't she?" He just nodded in response. Eventually, they reached the dorms. Alex wasted no time unlocking the door and going to straight for the bathroom. The rest of Team RWBY followed not too long after and immediately heard the sounds of someone heaving in the bathroom. It wasn't until Ruby did a quick headcount that she realized that he was inside, puking his guts out.

"Alex? Are you okay in there?" Ruby asked from the door way. All she received was another heavy, followed by the sound of splashing water from the toilet. "Yang! You made him throw up!"

"I didn't think I hit him hard enough to do that!" While they argued about how much force was actually in the hit, Weiss went over to the table to sit down, Alexis grabbed a chair and sat near where he would usually sit, worry etched on her face as she heard her partner heave again into the toilet. Blake grabbed her book and continued reading from where she left off.

Eventually, they heard the sound of a flushing toilet followed by the sound of the sink. The door unlocked and he stepped out, only in his long-sleeved undershirt.

"Why are you just in that?" asked Ruby.

"My shirt got a bit of puke in it. Don't worry I didn't put it with the rest of the clothing in the hamper." He had noticed that Weiss was about to Yell at him for throwing his puke ridden clothing in with the rest of the teams clothing.

"Are you going to put another one on? If you do, someone is going to be very disappointed!" Yang ended that in a sing song like voice, trying to annoy the other blonde in the room. He just looked at her, confused.

"Um, Right. I'll keep that in mind I guess?" He shrugged and Yang had to physically restrain herself from facepalming.

Eventually, everyone was doing their own thing. Weiss had convinced (read; bribed with cookies) Ruby to study with her, While Yang was on her laptop watching some funny videos. Blake was getting to the…'ahem'…part of her book, and Alexis was using her scroll to read some e-Books. She had recently bought the entire collection to a very naughty series of books. "Fifty Shades of Pollination." She had already gotten to one of the very 'naughty' parts in the first book and decided to look over to her left, where her partner was sitting. He was on his laptop, checking on Stocks and minor things for the company his company. She was still a bit hot and bothered by what she was reading and since he hadn't bothered to grab another shirt, she tried to see if she could see anything through his undershirt. While she was eye-binging on her partner, Ruby got bored of studying and got everyone's attention.

"Guy's, we can't just keep doing this all the time! We need to do something fun! Something adventurous, something-"

"Dangerous?" Weiss asked, looking at Ruby who was doing hand gestures to emphasize her point.

"We weren't going to do anything dangerous Weiss, I was just suggesting we go out and have some fun!"

Yang defended her sister from her bunk "Yeah Weiss! Don't be such a downer! Some fun would possibly make you less of a killjoy anyway"

Weiss just rolled her eyes. "Yang, 'fun' for you would probably be making him-" she pointed to person in question "Make you the base for some nuclear weapon, then you add find the rest of the parts and BOOM! Remnant is suddenly missing the Kingdom of Vale."

Blake decided to speak on her partner and her sister's behave, albeit a bit more rationally. "Why don't we just go to the city? Find something to do there?" In reality, she wanted to see if maybe she could find anything on Torchwick. She did feel bad for doing that for her own personal gain, but she kept telling herself it is for the best.

"Well, we still need to go dress shopping…" Yang hopped off her bed. Weiss eye widened, they need to get their measurements, and otherwise they wouldn't have a dress in time!

"You're Right!" Weiss then proceeded to start making a mental list, mumbling to herself as she paced back and forth.

"Weiss calm down, we have time. Relax." Ruby tried to calm Weiss down, grabbing her shoulders to stop her from pacing about.

"Time?! We don't have enough time!"

Ruby again tried to calm down the agitated heiress. "Weiss listen, we'll go to Vale tomorrow after. Relax. Everything will be fine" Everyone noticed how Ruby was able to successfully calm the heiress down. But of course, Yang had to make her opinion vocal.

"Wow Rubes, you are probably the first person to calm down Ice Queen here"

"Hey!"

"Heh, yeah" she smiled sheepishly before she noticed that she was still holding Weiss by the shoulders. Quickly she let go and made a beeline for the bathroom, a pink tinting her cheeks. Weiss suppressed a frown at the suddenly missing warmth from the red head.

"Alright" the blonde clapped her hands together, grabbing everyone's attention again "What is the Plan?" Weiss thought about it for a second.

"After our last class, we need to wait for Ruby and Alex to finish their leadership class. That is about an hour's wait. In that time, we could either go to Vale or tell them where to meet us, or we can wait for them at the Airship dock."

"I think we should wait for them-" Around this time Ruby came back from the bathroom "Because Ruby and Mr. Sense-of-Direction will get lost."

"Yang!" Ruby whined "That was onc-"

"Three. You got us lost three times Ruby." Weiss interrupted her team leader. Ruby just pouted, much to Weiss dismay. She tried not to look at her pouting leader.

"Couple that with Mr. PNA's sense of direction, they'll probably end up in the Odin Federal Territory or something."

He tried to defend himself. The keyword is tried. "Hey, I have a good sense of direction." Yang just looked at him deadpanned.

"Back at patch, you got us lost on our way to get some ice cream."

"It wasn't that bad."

She just raised an eyebrow, still looking at him deadpanned. "We ended up on the other side of the island. In the city of Orochi…"

Alexis turned to face him. "How did you do that?"

"Well" The brawler started "- I challenged him to take us to get Ice Cream before 3 o'clock . Of course he accepted and we ended up walking for three hours to the other side of the island. We had to run the majority of the way back just so we wouldn't get in too much trouble." What she purposely left out is the fact that they ended up getting in trouble anyway. But judging from the way both Yang and Ruby were glaring at him, and the way he was rubbing his neck sheepishly, it didn't take too long for the team to put two and two together.

"So" Weiss got everyone's attention. "We will wait for them then? Instead of them getting lost and ending up in Vacuo or something?" Everyone nodded. "Alright then, it settled." Ruby instantly went up to the heiress and embraced her in a hug, thankful for not abandoning her.

"Get off me you Dolt!" Though the way she said it didn't imply that she actually wanted it to stop.

"Aww, well aren't you two the most adorable thing." A blonde had said that, but it wasn't Yang. Weiss glared at Alexis, who in turn was grinning.

"Whatever, at least my partner isn't dense." At least, Weiss hoped that she wasn't. Alex had just been watching the whole thing, not saying anything but having a raised eyebrow and a face the showed gears turning in his head.

"Alright, thank you Weiss for your eternal kindness and making the decision to wait for us." Ruby nodded again from where she was, this time on Weiss's bed. "Now that we have tomorrow sorted out, what do we do for the rest of the day?"

"How about we play some monopoly?" Yang suggested. No one seemed opposed to the idea. Ruby got the monopoly board from the closet of never ending boxes and set it up.

* * *

Authors Note: This one is shorter because I tried (and failed) to get a chapter before college started. I am working on the next chapter though. Also, remeber that small side project I said I would also take on? Well, the first Chapter is Online! I'll find a better name for it, but for now it is called PNA:Project Lunch Hour. And it will mainly take place in between the chapters of this story, though in no particular order. Occasionally I'll throw in a One Shot every so often in there to spice it up. Aside from that, I don't have much to say. Hopefully you are enjoying it so far, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces.

Edit: Fixing. I am going back to fix and make the chapters legible and streamline them as well.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 17

* * *

Ozpin over the Transcripts of Team RWBY's Latest recruits. He noticed something and immediately called for Glynda to her office.

"Headmaster Ozpin, you said this was urgent. What is it?" Professor Goodwitch asked as she approached his deask.

He took a sip of his mug of coffee. "It seems that two of our students haven't done the very first assignment. The Initiation Mission." He moved the monitor to show her the students in question." After Classes end, bring these two students up. They will do the initiation today. She nodded before turning and walking away.

He looked at the two files again, paying closer attention to a picture of a green hexagram on his file.

* * *

"Jesus wept, finally that class is over" Ruby nodded in agreement. They were both walking back to their dorm when they were stopped by the Blonde Leader of Team JNPR.

"Guys! Wait up!"

They both turned around and face Juane, who was jogging to catch up.

"Hm?"

"What are you guys going to do today?"

"Team RWBY is going shopping for dresses for the dance…"

"Mind if we tag along? Pyrrah and Nora wanted to go, but we couldn't find a day that wasn't as busy."

Ruby looked back at the brunette boy, who just shrugged.

Meanwhile, Team RWBY was waiting at the dorm for the two remaining teammates to return from their extra class. Yang and Alexis were talking about some band, Weiss was just staring at her phone, and Blake was reading a book. A small ding from Weiss's scroll caught everyone's attention.

"Who was that?" asked Yang, already having an idea of who it was.

"It's Ruby, she is asking if it Team JNPR can come along. Apparently Juane had approached them after their class had ended."

Yang nodded. "I don't mind, I could use someone else to help me pick out something. Plus it gives me someone else to judge as well." Weiss and Alexis raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'judge'?"

"Seeing who had the better dress! Like a mini competition or something."

Alexis instantly shook her head. "Oh no, this isn't a beauty pageant. You aren't going to Judge anyone."

"What?" But before she could say anything more on the matter, their Team Leader and Teammate walked through the door.

"You guys ready to go? Team JNPR is waiting for an answer by the way."

Weiss nodded "Tell them they can come."

Ruby had decided to abuse her team leader power, by sending someone to go and tell them. "Alex, go tell them."

"What? Why me?"

"Because I am the leader and you must do as I tell you." She said, wearing a smug smile. He just scoffed before walking to the room across the hall.

"This team leader crap has gotten to your head." He walked over to the room across the hall.

The Rest of Team RWBY got up, grabbed their belongings such as their weapons or scrolls before heading out. They noticed that Alex had was walking with JNPR, so the all jogged to catch up with them.

"Hello!" Pyrrah said as she saw the rest of RWBY catch up.

"Hey Pyrrah, ready to pick something out for your date?" Pyrrah's face took on a shade that rivaled her hair.

"I-um, don't have a date to the dance." Yang chuckled, apparently she was going to help cupid with his work.

"Well, don't you worry then Pyrrah! I'll help you find a dress that will impress that special someone. Regardless of how dense he may be." Pyrrah nodded sheepishly, still blushing. Yang knew that Pyrrah had the hots for tall, blonde and scraggly. God only knows why Juane out of everyone but that is beside the point. The problem is that the JNPR's team leader is very oblivious to everything. Speaking of oblivious people…

Yang turned to her left and saw her sister and the Ice Princess talking about something. Well, more like Ruby talking and Weiss listening. Occasionally she would say something, but Ruby was doing most of the talking. Yang had a sneaking suspicion that Ruby is/ has already fallen for her partner. Judging by the way she acts when Weiss is around, it was nice to see Ruby so happy. Even though Weiss and Yang don't see eye to eye on something things, it seems that Weiss is actively trying to be less of a stick in the mud, and actually trying to be friendlier. Yang has noticed how she scowls less and seems to also lecture Ruby more on important things than small insignificant things. She even talks to Velvet, which also means that she is trying to accept Faunus as well, a farcry from how she acted when she first arrived at Beacon.

Eventually, they reached the airship terminal and boarded one of the ships. Ruby instantly took a window seat, with Weiss sitting next to her. On the other side, also a window seat, Yang had taken that seat and Blake took a seat next to her. Nora quickly took the window seat in the row in front of Yang, with Ren in tow. Pyrrah sat in the seat opposite of Ruby and Weiss, facing the two, with Juane sitting next her. Pyrrah didn't see the last two board the airship. Yang was also looking around for them. Blake noticed her partner looking around and wondered what she was doing.

"Yang, what are you doing?" Blake asked.

"I'm looking for PNAA." She just raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"PN Alex and Alexis. Is it PNAA? Or PNAAA?" She wondered aloud to herself, Blake rolled her eyes before she looked around, indeed noticing that they were missing. She looked around for the two missing people in question. She spotted them at the entrance to the ship, Glynda had apparently stopped the two from boarding the flight.

"Well, I found them at least." Yang looked in the direction Blake was looking at, and saw that indeed Glynda was talking to the two of them, scroll in her hands. Ruby and Weiss noticed the Black and Yellow pair looking back and they both did as well. Alex had his arms in akimbo, not looking too pleased. Alexis had her arms crossed as she was talking to Glynda. Eventually though, they both had to be escorted off of the platform. The back of the ship closed before it began to take off, hovering before thrusting forward in a sudden jolt.

* * *

With Professor Glynda Goodwitch.

"The two of you, despite the fact that Ozpin have paired you up, have not completed your initiation. I do understand the circumstance that prevented you from doing so. This is a requirement to enter the school, and we have been very lenient on you about this.." They both nodded, still none-too-pleased that they were taken off of the airship.

"When are we going to have to do it?" asked Alexis, walking next to his partner.

"Right now." Glynda said, not worried about the fact that it was already 4:30.

"Right now? Isn't the initiation like, four hours or something?"

"'Or Something', Yes." He sighed, accepting what was going to happen.

They walked around Beacon until they were at the edge of a cliff, with a forest being the first thing they saw. Ozpin was already waiting for them, a mug of coffee in his hands.

"I do understand that you had plans, but no one has skipped out on doing the first step needed to attend this academy. That being said, I know that the two of you have taken several already. Regardless of that however, we have monitored everyone's ability to fight Grimm. Except for you two. Which is why I have asked Glynda to bring you here. Despite the fact that you are already partners, it will not change what we are going to do here and now." He took a sip of coffee as he looked at the two of them, both somewhat nervous expressions on their faces.

"You two will be sent into the forest. From there, you must meet up with one another and make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

"Great." Alex Drawled. Alexis elbowed him, shutting him up.

"Despite everything that has happened, you will still be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but we will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. You must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" They both nodded. "Good! Now, take your positions." They walked to the two most centered platforms, from what their team had told them, they would be ejected into the forest and forced to land using a "landing strategy". "Well, I bid you two good luck." That was the last thing he said to the two of them. He walked back and stood next to Glynda, who had her scroll still out. Alex and Alexis glanced at each other briefly, before being sent off into the forest.

* * *

Airbourne

Both Alexis and Alex were now airbourne, but thanks to some clever sneakiness by Glynda, they were sent off in completely different directions.

Alexis was quickly looking for somewhere to land. She found a spot and immediately started to make her descent. Using her weapon, she broke through several tree's until she was able to slow down enough to land on a very big branch, high up enough so that she can try to look for her partner. She almost immediately spotted him not too far from where she was at, and she both saw and heard him accelerate. A loud, explosion was heard from where he was at, and she saw something akin to a small, circular cloud that had formed behind him.

"Did he just…?" Shaking her head, she immediately went out to look for him.

Meanwhile, Alex had been using his boosting ability to keep accelerating. He heard a small boom, but the roar of the air in front of him had suppressed it. He was spinning around, doing barrel rolls and overall just having a bit of fun with it, before making the decision to finally land somewhere. Finding a relatively open area, he flipped so that he was falling feet first, which was a difficult feat in itself, and began to boost. Immediately he began to slow down. Pressing the crown on the watch, he was able change the way the small air compressor would handle the boost.

Once he descended gracefully, and by gracefully that meant he landed fine but tripped over a rock causing him to land face first into the dirt, he looked around at his surroundings. Trees… that was all he could see in every direction. Sighing, he was about to use the built in compass on his scroll when he heard bushes rustling. He turned around to the source of the noise, but nothing came out of the bush.

"Lex? Alexis? Is that you?" he walked over to the bush, and quickly separated it into two halves. There was nothing there. He started the trek north to wherever the hell it was that Ozpin had sent them, before he heard a growl. Turning around, he was met with red eyes in the shadows. At first it was only a pair, but then more started to appear. There was at least a dozen red eyes that were all watching him. One of the owners of the eyes stepped into the light. Standard Beowolf, about 4 feet taller than himself when standing on its hind legs. It growled at him, trying to scare him. Quickly taking out the lever action shotgun, he flicked his wrist and shot the Beowolf. He did it fast enough that it wasn't able to defend itself and it just fell back before it started to evaporate.

'Why do they evaporate like that?' he wondered to himself. But before he could ponder on that thought, several more Grimm stepped from the shadows. More Beowolfs and an Ursai. Smirking to himself, he turned the bezel twice and put his shotgun away. He boosted to one of the beowolfs, who tried to swipe at him but missed. He countered with an uppercut before landing several blows and with a direct kick to the head, snapping its neck and killing it. After that, the rest surrounded him, like an animal that circle his prey. He looked around and saw that he was out numbered, he still smirked. He pressed and held the crown of the device on his wrist which caused the air compressor to fill itself up. While that was happening, he got his shotgun and landed the first strike that caused all of the Grimm that had surrounded him to attack.

"Well, could be worse" he thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Somewhere in the forest.

"Where did that Supersonic idiot land? I could have sworn he was around here-"she was interrupted by a growl that had come from behind a tree. A beowolf had stepped from behind the tree and was slowly walking toward her. She immediately jumped into action, pulling out her long sword and parrying the beowolfs strike. She created an arc that was glowing intensely, before pulling a small trigger that shot it forward. That sent the beowolf back and it stunned him, which allowed her to quickly go on the offensive. She made short work of it by shoving the sword down its throat when it came back down on four legs. Brushing herself off, she heard a massive explosion, followed by a dull vibrating sensation. It was as if a small earthquake had just occurred. She then saw what looked like a blue flare shoot up.

"Well, that is one way to find someone." She said to herself before taking off in that direction.

Alex had taken down a couple of grimm, but there was still a couple more and the Ursa was still there. Shooting a kinetic shell at one of the beowolfs, he flipped the weapon so he held it by the barrel and used it as a sort of club. He smashed one of the beowolfs head with the butt of his gun with enough force to hear an audible crack, followed by the sight of the grimm in question instantly falling limp onto the ground.

While he was dealing with the grimm in front of him the Ursa had sneakily made his way behind him. It instantly made a charge for him, and it made an attempt to swipe him. Luckily he noticed just in time and was able to jump out of the way, but not before taking a bit a damage. His right arm had unfortunately gotten swiped, it wasn't life threatening or anything, but it was bleeding and it had destroyed the long sleeves of the shirt.

"Damn..." he muttered to himself. The cuts weren't deep, but dear dust they were painful. Ignoring the pain, he got back up and began to run toward the Ursa, hitting it with the butt of his gun. Unfortunately it didn't do anything more than irritate it. Thinking fast, he loaded his shotgun with 'S Shells' that would temporarily stun anyone hit by them and shot a couple at the now-running-at-him Ursa. The shot's did little to stop it, and he got closer he used the pent up compressed air to jump high enough to go over the trees.

Looking down, he saw where the Ursa was looking around and boosted down. With the help of that, plus the concept of gravity, he was able to land squarely on the Ursas head. He then twisted his back a little and began to spin. Underneath his feet, the sound of the Ursa's neck snapping and twisting was loudly heard and echoed through the forest. A couple moments more and he jumped off of the dead ursa, who immediately began to evaporate. Unfortunately, what he had just done had made him dizzy and he fell on the floor, temporally unaware that the other two Beowolfs where still there.

"Whoa, how did he do that?" Alexis had found his partner, just in time to see the spectacle that she witnessed. Then she noticed the two other grimm that were about to attack her temporarily incapacitated teammate and made her way behind them.

Alex had taken notice of the approaching creatures and jumped back to his feet, slightly cringing as his ears were began to ring loudly. He noticed that the two creatures had stopped.

"Well, come get some then?" The beowolfs both stood on their hind legs, before a small sound came from behind, and they both collapsed on the ground. Behind the now evaporating corpses, was his Blonde teammate, who was putting away her long sword. She looked at him, panting as he looked up to meet her eyes.

"Hey, where have you been?" He fell back, looking up at the sky as regained his breath. She walked over to him, not saying a word. Extending a hand, he grabbed it and that's when she noticed his injury.

"Oh my God! What happened?"

"I'll be fine…I think. That Big Bear looking Grimm was able to get in my blind spot and got a slight scratch on me." He pulled his arm away as she tried to inspect the damage.

"Let me see, I'll be able to help" he sighed before giving in, letting her check out the extent of the injury. "Just some scratches, but you are bleeding. We need to find something to patch that up with."

"I mean, if you have some string, we can use leaves?" He offered.

"No, we need a cloth." She then noticed his torn up long sleeve. "Wait, why don't you just take off, we can get some rags out of that." His eyes widened, he would have to take off his clothes….in front of her…. It was only his shirts but still!

"It's ok, I'm sure that my Aura will heal it….I think." He noticed how it was still bleeding, though not as bad. His aura was helping, but he was still losing blood.

Alexis just groaned. "Come on, you have like seven of the same kind! Losing this one, which is already ruined, won't really matter now." He just huffed, but she did have a point.

"Fine, turn around and I'll give it to you to turn It into rags." She just raised an eyebrow.

"Why?

"He just looked at her deadpanned. "This is beneath my tee, so I need to take them both off."

She just rolled her eyes and complied… Not really, she turned back around and crossed her arms as she looked on, he was too busy to notice. As he was 'stripping' himself of his upper body wear, her face was beginning to flush. He was muscular, which she had hinted he was when his shirt rode up the other day. He had what looked like the begininning of a pack forming. His arms were also muscular as well, but that was to be expected by a hunter at this point. THe put on his tee, and she quickly turned around, hoping that he didn't see her staring…intently…

"Here, you can turn them into rags." She turned around and tossed it to her. She began to rip it apart and began tying the cloth around the injury. She felt how his arm was flexing as she applied pressure to the wound.

"Alright, done." He looked at her handy worked, nodding in approval.

"Ok, now that the minor stuff is out of the way, where the hell do we go now?" They just looked around. The sun was setting, and they need to hurry or else risk natural light vanishing.

After checking on his bandage, they choose a direction according to the stars and began their trek. Every so often they would have to fight a grimm but mostly it was just walking. They were both quiet, which was boring, so he tried to start up a conversation.

"Sooooo, nice time to be out and about right?" She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yup, ejected into the forest, trying to find some stupid relic, with Grimm trying to kill us. I say it's an excellent time to be out."

"Yeah, really don't know why they didn't just let us do this some other time. It seems odd." Shrugging, they continued to walk until she stepped on some kind of rope trap. It sprang into action and pulled her by the leg and held her upside down.

"Uh, little help?" She noticed that he was staring at her intently. "What?"+

He shook his head before quickly helping her down gently. By that, I meant he shot at the rope which unceremoniously dropped her to the ground. "Gee thanks" she rubbed her head. He pulled her up, helping her back to her feet.

"No problem! Always here to help." There was a hint of playful sarcasm in there. Brushing herself off, they continued their path towards the temple.

* * *

Top of the Cliff.

"Hmm, they do seem to get along with each other. More so than the students who did the initiation at the beginning." Glynda said, tapping elements on the screen as she watched the two.

"Of course Glynda, they have had time to get used to each other." He took another sip of his coffee. "They have known each other for quite a bit, I would be surprised if they wouldn't get along, or be able to fight together." She just hummed, manipulating elements on the scroll tablet.

* * *

"How long is it until we reach the stupid temple?" Alexis complained. They had been walking for the better half of an hour, and still nothing.

Eventually, the two collapsed next to a tree. They were too tired to stand up, walking and fighting off the grimm of the forest was taken a toll.

"What do you think will happen if we just go back empty handed?" He asked, his head on her lap.

"I don't know, we'd probably get kicked out or something." She noticed how his head was resting on her lap. "Why are you using my lap as a pillow?" She asked quizzically. He shrugged before nuzzling slightly into her leg, causing her to blush a furious shade of Red.

"It's so comfy, like a soft pillow. You could….fall….asleep….zzzzzz" She looked down as she heard soft snoring. He actually had fallen asleep. Rolling her eyes, she began to gently stroke his hair. She notice that he was smiling as she slowly stroked his hair. Despite the amount of hair gel he used, his hair was quite soft. She lost track of time, how long she had been just staring at him, as creepily as it sounded. She was able to glance at his watchface for the time, eye widening as it showed it was about to be :00.

"Wake up!" She shook him, trying to wake him up. He stirred from his small nap, stretching as opened his eyes. The first thing he saw when he opened them was a pair of hazel eyes staring back down at him. Blinking for a second, he smiled and the owner of those eyes smiled back. He got up, helping Alexis to her feet, they brushed themselves off before going back on their quest.

"You know, you owe me for using me as a pillow." She said playfully. He chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll let you sleep with me or something." Pink tinted her cheeks, the way he said that was very lewd. "I only used your lap, I didn't use your entire body." Her blush become darker, thanking every deity that it was dark. The way he was talking…wow. He continued his monologue, not noticing the Blonde was red faced. "Like one of those body pillow things. What are they called? Dakiura? No. Dainakamura? No. Hakuna matata? Nope. Daikatana? I think that's a video game…" Alexis, whose blush finally died down, gave him the correct answer.

"You mean a Dakimakura?" he snapped his fingers, pointing at her and beaming.

"Yeah, that! Atleast I didn't use you as a Dakimakura!"

Her blush returned full force again.

* * *

Yang had burst out laughing. Everyone was on the airship, waiting for all the other patrons to board the airship. She, and occasionally Blake, were watching the event's unfold. She wasn't the only one, as Ruby was also giggling to herself. Weiss rolled her eyes, but she had a small smile, no doubt finding what she saw funny. Finally calming down after her laughing bout, she noticed a small button on the side of the screen. Holding it, a small description explained that it could record the events of the past five minutes.

Yang grinned like an idiot, and pressed the button. The file would be saved to her scroll.

How could she possibly pass up this Black Mail opportunity up?

The trip to the Fancy Clothes store had been...Unique...in her opinion.

Weiss generously donated a dress to Ruby...without her Knowing. What had happened was that Ruby didn't have enough money, so she couldnt pick out a dress. Weiss had noticed and had ordered it.

And Yang was trying to get Blake flustered, succeeding to an extent with the amount of praises she was giving the faunus.

* * *

Another fifteen minutes passed before they spotted an old, torn down temple below. They looked at each other.

"Thank that's it?" She asked. They were a bit high up.

"Only one way to find out." He kneeled before jumping, the hiss of compressed air being the only sound as Alexis watched him descend. She quickly followed, and was able to catch up to him in a short time. They looked around circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding a couple of black and gold objects.

"At least we found it before tomorrow?" He said, she just raised an eyebrow before walking over to the platforms.

"Uh, Chess Pieces?" She looked at the black pawn. He shrugged before he turned to the platform in front of him.

"Oh! Can we take this horsey looking one?" She smiled as she crossed her arms.

"Sure, why not?" they met up at the center of the stone temple. Both of them sharing a smile. "So now what?" She asked.

"I guess we have to make our way back?" They both sighed, if it had taken them that long to get to the temple, how long would it take to get back? Accepting their fate, he stored the chess piece in his pocket before they started the trek back to Beacon. As they were walking, she noticed how he was looking around suspiciously.

"Alex? Are you okay?" He stopped looking around and turned to face her, flashing a small smile.

"I'm fine. It's just that….I have this feeling. As if we are being watched." He shrugged. They continued walking, basically following the line of downed trees and debris. That was there when they began so it was safe to assume that this happened at the beginning of the year.

* * *

One hour and 15 minutes later.

"Yeah, we are totally lost." They had stopped by a small pond to get something to drink and most likely went a different route from there.

"I don't know, if we were sent off going straight to the temple, which would mean we were south.."

"If you say so." They continued walking. It was starting to get a little chilly due to a breeze. Though a question did come up in Alexis head. "What happens if we don't find our way back today? Does Glynda come and look for us or would we still be able to show up tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I really, really don't want to spend the night outside. Ozpin did tell is that they would not send anyone to go find us. So we are basically on our own until we find our way back." Before he could say anything more, growl could be heard coming from all directions. Red Eyes glowing in the shadows. There where at least a dozen eyes staring at the hunter and huntress in training. They stopped and got their weapons out, Ready to take them all on.

"What do we do?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice. We are going to have to fight them." Then, a glowing yellow object slowly appeared above the eyes, followed by a hissing noise. It started to get closer, and the glowing object got higher. The eyes of the Grimm in question, along with its exoskeleton began to glow as it appeared from the shadows. A death stalker was staring them down, hissing and sniping its pincers together. The pair just stared at the Grimm, weapons still drawn. It growled at them, causing them to back up slowly. Seeing that, the Deathstalker began to slowly follow them. Then it used one of its pincers to try to catch on of them. Diving out of the way, Alex was able to find the only course of action suitable for the situation they were in.

"Alexis! RUN!"

They both took off instantly. The Scorpion like grimm was making hast, closing in by the second. Looking back, he noticed that it was about to strike with its stinger. Seeing where it was heading, he quickly pushed his partner out of the way. He was able to use enough force to send her sprawling into some bushes, but out of the path of the stinger. She quickly got up, clearly not pleased with what had happened until she saw what was waiting for her.

The Death stalker had tried to use it stinger, but because no one was there to receive it, it retracted it and kept chasing the only person in front of it. She got up and gave chase chase, noticing that its tail was low enough to grab on to. Closing the gap, she managed to jump and get of hold of it. The Deathstalker had noticed and was trying to throw her off. And it was doing that, it was slowing down. Turning back again, he noticed that the creature had slowed down and he saw why. His blonde partner had ended up grabbing onto the tail and it was trying to throw her off. Seeing an opening, he sprinted toward the vulnerable deathstalker who was trying to use its pincer's to cut her off, but it left its face completely exposed.

Boosting to gain additional speed, he basically launched himself into the deathstalker and managed to take out an eye. That in turn caused it to screech in pain. Alexis was able to use the opportunity and tried to swipe at the base end of the tail, so that the stinger would fall on it. Unfortunately she managed to hit it about half way, causing what could only be assumed as its poison to leak it. That also got a strangled cry from it. She jumped off and managed to land some distance away from it, still facing it. Looking around frantically, she couldn't see her partner anywhere until she looked ahead and her eyes widened at what she saw.

He managed to get his right arm stuck in the beast's eye socket. He kept trying to get it out, frantically tugging at it as it started to charge. Feeling the movement, he had to either jump on its head and risk breaking his arm, or run backwards and risk being trampled by the massive thing. Quickly making his decision, he twisted his arm so that he could jump on it, lucky however that it actually twisted along so that it was still stuck but it was leveled with his body, so it looked as if he got his arm stuck from above. He then saw that the stinger was oozing some kind of thick fluid. His eyes widen as he realized that it was its venom. He frantically pulled his arm, trying so hard to dislodge it from its socket. Then he had an idea, it wasn't a brilliant one, but seeing as his partner was now the target for the deathstalker, the fact that his arm was still stuck and that its stinger was leaking venom all over itself and it running could flick poison onto him, there wasn't much else for it.

Crouching as best he could, he used the back of his hand to press the crown in order to change the settings for the air compressor. Once he got that done, he jumped and immediately ordered for extra strength, sacrificing the amount that he would actually be able to use at the moment. Incredibly it worked, he had managed to pull his arm out of the creature's eye socket and was able to land not too far ahead of where Alexis was. The problem of the thing still being alive was there, and the fact that they were still lost wasn't helping either. And then there was the sudden squawking noise coming from above. As Alexis caught up to him, they both looked up and regretted it instantly. A nevermore had been watching from above and was now circling around them.

"Lex, have you ever gotten the impression that you're just completely wasting your time?" she nodded.

"Yeah, this is one of those times." Sighing, he turned back and saw the Deathstalker was approaching them.

* * *

Team RWBY's Dorm.

Yang was watching the events unfold from her laptop. Ruby was as well, and she noticed some similarities.

"Guys, didn't we have the same problem? Around that same area too?" Yang nodded

"Yeah, if we'd have known they would be doing that we would have warned them about that."

"They'll be fine, I'm sure of it. I have little doubts in their abilities. I mean, we did the same thing." Weiss said as she watched on. They have been doing well but there hasn't been any actual teamwork with the two.

"Yeah, but we had Team JNPR to help. They don't have the luxury we had of having another six people." Yang countered. "Besides, they can't go to the bridge we were at because the Nevermore destroyed it." There was a knock on the door. Ruby got up and answered it and was greeted by the sight of Team JNPR.

"Uh, hey. Nora here-"Juane was interrupted by Nora.

"Hey!"

"Anyway, she wanted to know if you guys were up for a movie."

Ruby and Yang both agreed, Blake simply nodded.

Yang left the room and quickly came back with a lot of popcorn. Passing out bowls she got out of somewhere and eating her own.

"I am not eating that buttery glutinous junk." Weiss said in a huff. Ruby just rolled her eyes.

"Weiss, its popcorn. It's the healthiest snack you could eat."

"Yes, if it didn't have a so much butter on it. But Yang literally melted multiple sticks of butter on it or something. I for one wil-" She was stopped from ranting by Ruby shoving a couple of popcorn pieces into her mouth.

"Ruby Rose!" she began to chase Ruby around the dorm. Everyone looked up and watch the dignified heiress act very unheiress like by chasing Ruby like a child.

"Do you thing that Ruby knows?" Blake whispered to Yang.

"No, but I am sure Weiss doesn't either" It seemed that Blake noticed as well. Between the entertainment in front of them and the action on screen, today was very entertaining for them.

* * *

He turned back to face her, a grim expression on his face.

"You do realize there is only one thing for it, right?"

"What?'

"Run!" They were on the move again, though this time they ended up in an open area. The Deathstalker wasn't showing any signs of fatigue. And then they had a Nevermore flying around them. Then he got an idea. The nevermore could shoot it's arrows at a target from range. If one of them could lure the Deathstalker in position, the other would try to get the nevermore to fire. It was risky seeing that if they messed up, they would be killed. But it was the only thing they had.

"Alexis!" she face him as they kept running

"Yeah?"

"We need to make that shoot its arrows. One of us gets that scorpion thing distracted while the other makes the big bird shoot its arrows."

"You mean the Deathstalker and Nevermore right?" He just rolled his eyes.

"Alexis, could you pick a better time to be pedantic? Now really isn't the best time for that." It was her turn to roll her eyes, but agreed to the ludicrous plan. "Ok, who does what?"

"You get the option to pick, just make it quick." Despite the loud noises coming from everywhere, the two could have sworn to have heard someone say "EYYYYE!"

"Fine, Ill distract the Deathstalker." He nodded and they went to work.

The deathstalker continued to chase them, but Alex jumped up and was able to get out of it's sight. While Alexis would be doing that, he needed a way to get the nevermores attention. He saw that it wasn't too far away, still circling around them. Taking out his shotgun, he reloaded before inserting an extra round. He fired three shots of kinetic shells, two of the making contact. The nevermore screeched as it begin to descend lower as if it was going to fly head on. His eyes widened as he saw that it was indeed coming head on for him. He jumped out of the way, narrowly getting decapitated as one of its wings cut down some trees as it performed a nose dive. Getting back, he saw that Alexis was gaining the advantage on the deathstalker. He fired a few more shots at the nevermore, which irritated it further and it began to fly higher and began to flap its wings, signifying it was about to attack.

"Alexis! Bring it here!" She turned quickly to see her partner waving. She made haste and started running, the deathstalker following her. She noticed that he had turned his back to the now attacking Nevermore, who was shooting an artillery's worth of arrows.

"Alex! Watch out!" She yelled as she ran faster. He turned around and saw that several arrows were coming for him. His eyes widened as he began to panic, not moving. Alexis was barely, just barely, able to reach him in time to tackle him out of the way. Behind them they could both here the screams of the Deathstalker as several feathers penetrated its exoskeleton, killing it. Sighing in relieve she got up and helped him up to his feet, but not before giving him an earful.

"What the Fuck was that you Nimrod!? You could've gotten killed by the damn arrows! Did you not think through all the way? And why the fuck were you looking at me! You should've have paid attention to the feathers that had your name on it!" He got up slowly, the wind was knocked out of him when she tackled him.

"Hey, at least I had a semi decent working plan! And it worked, see!" he pointed to the impaled deathstalker. "Me being killed would have just been a minor setback." Her mouth just opened and closed, Minor Setback?!

"What do you mean minor setback? You being killed is the worst thing that could happen!" she said, exasperated and irritated with him.

"Look, I'm fine thanks to you. I really owe you. But we'll discuss payments later. Now we need to find a way to kill that damn bird and get back to Beacon." She nodded, still irritated. They had a bit of time, the nevermore was circling around them but they were hiding within the small bushes. He was trying to come up with something else when it came to him, Killing two birds with one stone…Both Literally and Metaphorically. The plan was to irritate the deathstalker to make it perform a nose dive. Then they would jump on it.

"I have an idea." He was stopped before he could say more.

"Oh no, we are not going with any of your bright ideas. They are most likely designed to get you, me or both of us killed!"

"Look, I don't see you throwing suggestions. It's not the best I will admit-"

"Like the last one…"

"But, it might get us back. Here is the deal, we need to irritate the nevermore to cause it to perform a nose dive, once it begins to descend, we wait for it to get close enough so we can jump on it." Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Jumping on a live grimm?! Has he lost it?!

"Have you lost whatever sanity you had? Jumping onto live grimm, no less a flying nevermore?"

"Well, I don't see you coming up with anything! This is literally the only option we have." She looked at him, before looking up at the flying grimm. He was right, it was either they do that or risk getting killed by the feathers. The Nevermore was guaranteed to follow them wherever they went.

"Fine, but if we die I am going to kill you." He just chuckled

"Sure, I'll let you kill me again."

"So what's that plan then." he pointed at the large trees not too far from there.

"We climb on those trees to get some elevation. We shoot everything we got at it and we just wait for the nosedive. Nothing more to it than that." Nodding they made their way to the trees. As he was going to boost jump up, he noticed Alexis was slowly climbing up the tree. "What are you doing?" She turned her neck so that she could have him.

"Climbing up the stupid tree for your stupid plan to get on the stupid nevermore so we can finish this stupid initiation."

"Calm down. This tree is really high, so climbing it will take to long."

"And what do you propose we do then?" He thought about it for a second.

"I'll carry you there." He said, and despite the situation they were in she couldn't help the light pink on her face

"Are you sure?" He nodded quickly, trying to spot the nevermore. "So how is this goi-"she was interrupted as she squeaked. He had quite literally swept her off her feet and had her in a bridal carry. He crouched down before asking the air compressor to begin working. The hiss of compressed air shook leaves of the tree as Alexis hung on tightly, her face in his chest. She could still smell the faint cologne, as well as heart beating rapidly. She looked up and saw the concentration and determination on his face to get up the tree. They managed to get up, and once they reached the highest branch. He kneeled and helped her off.

"There you go, much faster and efficiant. Now onto the nevermore."

Alexis had an idea. "We can fire both our weapons. I am able to mix dust and anything else that can come in contact with it."

"So dust manipulation?" she nodded "Isn't that Weiss's thing though?" She shrugged. He gave a single nod. She got her long sword out and pointed it at the bird in the sky, waiting for the signal.

"Fire!"

They both began to fire their weapons. She shot red dust which caught onto the buckshot pellets, making them high grade explosive ammo. He shot several, which all but one hit. The angered the creature and made it come down in a nose dive. He saw Alexis putting away her sword, but stopped her before she could. She looked at him quizzically before he explained it to her.

"We are going to need that." She nodded but then he got her attention again, she turned back and gave him an eyebrow. He simply extended a hand, motioning for the sword,

"Why?"

"Someone has to stab the nevermore. Would you like to do that?" she shook her head, but was still hesitant about someone else touch her weapon. "Trust me Lex, I won't damage it." She took a deep breath before handing him her longsword. The nevermore came down, closing in on their location. He gave her final instruction as it approached. "When I say jump, we jump ok? Then grab onto the handle here-"he pointed to the spaces " as tight as you can. I am going to need you help in driving this into it's neck." She nodded. The Grimm was getting closer and was clearing everything in it's patch. Before it got to their tree, he yelled.

"Jump!"

They both jumped perfectly at the same time. She had grabbed onto the handle like he said and felt downward pressure. She noticed that he was boosting down to gain additional momentum. With a loud crack, followed by a shriek from the Creature below them, they successfully drove it into its head. It wasn't dead, but his theory was that he could be able to control it similarly to how you control a horse. The nevermore stabilized as it flew in the air. They were both crouching, so they slowly began to get up, still holding the sword together. He failed to notice that her hand was above his and was still holding on tightly. They were too busy looking around, seeing how high they truly were.

"Woah!" Alexis just nodded dumbfound. They could see were Beacon was, and could faintly make out two small dot's that were looking up. Persumably they were Ozpin and Goodwitch. "OK, Let me see if it worked." He then noticed that Alexis hand was on top of his. He grabbed her attention, pointing at her hand. She quickly pulled away, noticing that his hand was bleeding.

"Alex! Your bleeding!" she grabbed his hand, which was grabbing the sharpened part of the sword, where the sword began and handle ends.

"Sorry, didn't notice." Not a moment later, he felt it stinging "God that hurts, crap."

"Hold Still" she used another piece of rag to bandage up the cut. "Once we get back, I will properly take care of these injuries. But for now this is all I can do." He nodded as she stood back up. He jerked the sword to the left which cause the Nervermore to violent turn, Alexis lost her balance and was about to fall off before a hand caught her. Pulling her back up, she held his hand as he tried to guide the bird lower and safely to the point that they could jump off and land. He then encountered a minor problem.

"We need to make the nevermore fly around the school, that way we can just dump the nevermore into the forest when we jump" She nodded, now holding on tightly to him instead of his hand. Using her sword as a flight stick, he guided the creature around the school. Below, despite the fact it was very late, many people looked up in awe as they saw the Bird Grimm fly over. Team RWBY and JNPR looked out the window, having seen everything up to the jump through the scroll. Blake was able to see Alexis hanging on to dear life as the brunette CEO guided it back around.

"Alexis?." She barely heard him, having gripped him tighter.

"Yes?"

"We need to jump." She looked at him, eyes wide.

"What? We are too high."

"We'll jump at the same time. I am going to pull out the sword, then quickly shoot the gap. Once that happens I'll leave it a present. Got it?" She nodded again. He gripped the sword tightly by the hilt and pulled it upwards, causing the Nevermore to screech in pain again. He quickly plugged the hole with his shotgun and began unloading into it. The final shot was a Explosive Frag Round. The explosion managed to blow a hole in it's head and that allowed him to rechamber once and shoot its brain. Unfortunatly that took the nevermore out of the air. Grabbing Alexis again, he jumped off the dead thing and saw his landing target.

Going through the compressor settings on his wrist, he set it for constant burst and constant power. It slowed their descent and he was able to let Alexis go and let her land herself. They landed on their feet not too far from where Glynda and Ozpin had been waiting for them. Brushing themselves off Alexis looked around frantically for her weapon.

"Lex? Whats wrong?"

"I can't find my weapon." Looking up he saw it falling rapidly back down. He caught it by the hilt…just and handed it back to her, before turning and handing the relic to Ozpin.

"Hmmm. Well done. Though you took longer than expected. But I am sure we can let that go, just this once. Don't you agree?" They both nodded frantically, not wanting to be docked any points or something. "Well, you did very well, congratulations. That is all for now. You may go back to your team.".

Ozpin added on to her statment "Alright, I have done that. You two are dismissed." The nodded before making their way back to the dorm.

As they walked back, he only had one thing to say about what had happened.

"Well, that was something." His partner just hummed in agreement.

"True, but at least it's over right?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I wonder what the others are doing." She just shrugged.

"They are probably asleep. What time is it by the way?"

"its-" he checked the time "Midnight"

"Yeah, probably asleep then." They continued walking in silence. Despite everything that happened today, Alexis was happy she was able to spend more time alone. Even though he risked his own life several times and came up with deadly ideas that should have failed but didn't. They Reached their dorm, and noticed that there was light coming from behind it.

"Huh, that's weird." He just shrugged before using the watch to open the door. A quick beep signaled it was unlocked. As they stepped inside, they noticed that Team JNPR was here. As well as the fact that his tablet was on the stand, some app open but giving static. And they were all staring at them. They looked around nervously, not used to all the attention being on them.

"That…was….AWESOME!" both Yang and Ruby screamed. The brunette and blonde haired pair looked at each other, raised eyebrows as the red head and blonde walked over to them.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that was AWESOME! The way you made the deathstalker walk into a trap, then how you used the nevermore as a way to get back. And you" Ruby pointed and Alexis "The way you made that deathstalker spill its venom on itself and how you" he pointed to Alex "punched on of its eyes. So cool! You guys should have been with us! It would have been even more awesome than it was!" Ruby was excited, to the point that Weiss had to control her.

"Ruby, calm down! They just came from an exhausting mission and you just come up to them!" They both rolled their eyes.

"Again, its fine Weiss. Wait, how the hell did you all know about this?" He asked incredulously. Ruby and Yang laughed nervously. "Well, we kind of watched the initiation."

"So you basically spied on us."

"Welllllll, if you want to put it like that…" tried Yang.

"No, you basically did. But the question was how did you guys know? We didn't say anything."

"I tried calling you, but I got some error message. And then we watched the action happen from there."

"Right. Fine, whatever." Ruby pretended to notice that he was missing his long sleeve.

"Hey, what happened to you shirt?" He looked at himself, remembering what happened.

"I was fighting an Ursa, and it got a swipe on me. It ruined a good outfit too. I had to let Lex turn it into Rags so that she could patch it up." Yang raised an eyebrow.

"So you had to strip in front of her then?"

He coughed as she managed to finally, finally make him blush. "It is…possible, that I might have done that."

Yang then turned her sights to his partner. "So Alexis, did you like what you saw?" that made her turn redder than Ruby's cape. She held her head in her hands at the blonde laughed at their expense.

"Whatever, I am going to go change." He then noticed Team JNPR was there. "Oh, sorry. Hey Pyrrah, Jaune, Nora and Ren." Ren just raised an eyebrow, Nora waived, Pyrrah greeted them, and Jaune just gave him a slight head nod. He then proceeded to go into the bathroom, but before he could close the door, Alexis followed him and stopped him from closing it.

"I still need to treat your injuries." he opened the door to let the blonde in, along with letting in a comment from Yang.

"Don't do anything lewd in there!" that made Alexis subsiding blush come back again, but got a confused look from Alex.

"What did she say?" scrambling, she came up with a white lie.

"It's nothing. Here, sit down." Sitting down on the toilet, she got the medical supplies and got to work. She took off the makeshift bandage for his arm. It had stopped bleeding. She started treating it with disinfected.

"This is going to sting, alright?" he nodded. When she poured it, she noticed that he tensed up, breathing through gritted teeth to make as little noise as possible. She kept treating it, not liking how he was reacting to the disinfected. It seemed to be going in deeper than she thought. Finishing up that, she grabbed the medical bandages and began to wrap the wound.

She turned her attention to his hand. Again, taking off the ghetto bandage showed that he had a very deep gash and that it was still bleeding. She began the process again, this time hearing a slight whimper from him. She looked and saw how hard he was trying to fight the pain, his teeth were grinding together. Finishing up as quickly but not sloppily, she wrapped his hand with the bandage.

"Thank you for that."

She just nodded, rubbing her arm sheepishly "It's nothing really."

"I guess I owe you a lot more huh? Between me using you as a pillow, saving my life and patching me up. I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"It's ok, really you don't have to." She said as she looked up, staring into his eyes. She was getting lost in them. And she could see he was getting lost in hers as well. As if gravity was pulling them together, they both braced for what was coming. She closed her eyes, lips only a few centimeters away when-

"ARE YOU GUYS DONE IN THERE? I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM!" Jaune yelled as he pounded the door. They both stopped and pulled away, both of them red in the face. He coughed into his fist.

"Uh yeah, thanks." They both walked out as Jaune rushed in. Alexis was fuming though. Yang approached her, noticing that she was red in the face of both anger and embarrassment.

"Alexis, what happened in there?" She pointed to the door.

"Cockblock." Was the only thing she said on the matter. Nodding, she stepped away and went back with the Rest of the group.

* * *

Authors Note: This is now the longest chapter I have written, spanning over three days to write up and edit. There are still some minor errors which will be ironed out. I am almost certain that Team RWBY and JNPRs adventure to the Fancy Clothes store we be in PNA:Project Lunch Hour. I don't have too much to say other than school has started back up again. Yay... _pops deflated balloon..._ Anyway don't forget to leave some feedback, 'Tis very appreciated. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!

Renovating-ish


	17. Chapter 17

Important Details at the end regarding the Plot and its slowness.

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Chapter 18

Alexis was with Alex in the Emerald Forest. The plan was to irritate the Nevermore and make it shoot its feathers. Once that is happening, one of them will bring the Deathstalker and the arrows should kill it. Alexis chose to stall for time with the deathstalker while he would get the Nevermores attention. It wasn't exactly going well for her as she was further back than she would have liked to, but the plan was working fine. She was able to occasionally glance over to see what Alex was doing, and he was busy still trying to get the Nevermore to shoot its arrow feather things. The Deathstalker had a lot more stamina than she thought it would have, despite the fact it was leaking venom. She on the other hand was already tiring out. Thankfully, she heard him yelling, which probably meant that he had irritated it.

"Alexis! Bring it here!" She turned quickly to see her partner waving. She made haste and started running, the deathstalker following her. She noticed that he had his back to the now attacking Nevermore, who was shooting an artillery's worth of arrows.

"Alex! Watch out!" She yelled as she ran faster. He turned around and saw that several arrows were coming for him. His eyes widened as he began to panic, not moving. She ran as fast as she could, legs screaming in pain at the overexertion. She watched as the arrow came down and struck him, a sickening crunch heard as it pierced his body with ease.

Alexis woke up with a jump, and was sitting up. She was covered in a thin sheet of sweat and her breathing was ragged. Looking around, she noticed that the sun was slowly coming up. Checking the time on her scroll, it showed that it was 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday.

'Saturday, Great. I am awake this early on a Saturday.. Fantastic.'

Looking around, she saw Ruby was still sleeping on her bunk, snoring lightly with the beowolf sleeping mask and splayed limbs all over the bed. Under, Weiss was sleeping face up, still holding a posture somehow and one hand over her chest. Yang was snoring a bit more loudly and was not under the sheets, limbs all over the place. Beneath her, Blake was curled into herself, bow off to provide her ears with temporary relief. She then turned to her left, where he was supposed to be sleeping. Her eyes widened as his bed was somewhat neatly made, but devoid of an occupant. She looked around to see if he was still here and was about to get dressed to look for him when she heard what sounded like someone singing from the bathroom. She looked back to where Weiss is and she was still asleep. As far as she, and everyone else on Team RWBY and JNPR knew, Weiss was the only person who knows how to sing, or rather, one that can actually carry a tune for more than half a second. Realizing that she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, she got up and slowly made her way to the bathroom. She pressed her ear to the bathroom and confirmed that HE was indeed singing. Though it seemed like he was singing something in Mistralian instead of English. Alexis's first year secondary academy Mistralian wasn't enough to translate everything he was saying, but she caught a couple words here and there. She swore to everything that she also caught her name being said as well. She was so busy listening to him that she failed to notice how long she had her ear pressed against the door. That was until she heard Weiss yawn. Turning around, she saw that the heiress was rubbing her eyes and looking around, stopping at the blonde who was by the door.

"Alexis? What ar-" she yawned again "What are you doing?"

She tried to cover up the fact that she was eavesdropping. "I was going to the bathroom, but saw that it was locked. Weiss stared at her, deadpanned.

"I didn't know you could tell by having an ear to the door." Her faced flushed as she was caught, sighing, she told her what she was actually doing.

"I woke up and her someone singing in the bathroom." Both of Weiss eyebrows went up.

"What, you didn't know he could?" It was the blonde's turn to look at her, confused.

"Wait, you knew?" Weiss nodded.

"Well, Yeah. He did tell you that he was one of the suitors I was set up with." Alexis nodded "Well, he also was a part of some of the concerts that I held. He has produced a couple of songs that he sang on his own, which weren't credited to him, but he mostly did duets…." She trailed off. Alexis could see that she was very uncomfortable with having this information become public knowledge. So she just nodded.

They heard the door open and Alexis jumped back a few feet. As the door was opening, she saw that he was dressed casually. Wearing Blue jeans with a Navy Tee, with no longsleeve underneath. He was wearing the blue high-tops as well.

"You look like you're going to go out." Said the blonde, giving him a quick look down.

"I am, at least according to Yang…"

"What?"

"Well, she told me to tell you that we are going to the city because despite the fact that we were thrown into the Emerald Forest on short notice, that isn't an excuse to not buy fancy clothes for the upcoming dance." That did sound like Yang. "So go take a shower, your bed head isn't doing you any favors." He joked. She nodded and grabbed her belongings before making her way to the bathroom, punching him in the shoulder on the way…again. He didn't say anything and tried to play it off until she closed the door, in which he immediately grabbed and tried to sooth the pain.

"For a medic, she really seems to like to hurt people."

"No, just you." He looked up to see Weiss still on her bed.

"Really? Because I-"

"No, she just hurts you."

"Wow, that's kind of something someone would do in grade school on their crush or something." Shrugging, he grabbed a chair and powered on the laptop.

"Oh, you have no idea" she mumbled to herself, knowing that he is denser than the densest lead available.

He didn't hear that, so he continued doing what he was doing. Today was the start of the Association Grifball Season! The Mistralian Liga, the Vale Premiership, and the Atlesian Griffball-Bundesliga all had teams that were playing today. And due to the different time zones, now was the best time to watch the best teams play. Setting up some more things, he had the three matched he wanted to see. He had GC Varcelona in the Center, Atletico de Mistral on the Right, and City GC Playing on the left.

"What are you doing?" Weiss had been watching him setup all that in record time.

"Grifball has returned! Which means the Champions League, the UEFI Cup, and local leagues are playing again!" He sounded like an excited 7 year old. That excitement was a little louder than it needed to be and caused Ruby to stir and unceremoniously fall of the bed….and onto Weiss.

Weiss tried to get up, but Ruby was heavier than she looked. She started screaming, trying to wake up her still snoring partner.

"RUBY YOU IDIOT! GET OFF OF ME THIS INSTANT!" she kept trying to push her, at least get her to roll off or something. That shriek caused Blake and Yang to wake up with a start, and Yang to also fall of her bed unceremoniously.

"Wha- where?" she asked, drowsy and wanting to go back to sleep. She rubbed her head before getting up, seeing Ruby's unconscious body toppled over the heiress lithe form.

"Wow Rubes, didn't know you had it in you." She whispered to herself, smirking. Deciding that the Ice Queen had her fill of Ruby, she pulled her off of Weiss and placed her on Weiss' bed.

Dusting herself off, she saw where Ruby was now and pinched the bridge of your nose. "Yang, why did you place Ruby on my bed?"

"Trust me Princess, she will wake up." As she said that Ruby began to stir, but not before taking an audible sniff. It smelled like Vanilla…or Mint…Slowly taking off her mask, she looked up to see a silently laughing Yang and a very Red Faced Weiss who was embarrassingly hiding her face between her hands. Blake was watching the events unfold as well, feline ears twitching in amusement. Alex was too busy watching Grifball to notice.

"Uh, hey Weiss?" She tried, but Weiss wasn't in the mood.

She just hoped the Alexis would hurry up already.

Eventually, Team RWBY had all woken up and was ready to head out to the city. After getting something to eat, they made their way to the airship. They all sat where they usually did….Which was next to their partners. Yang took a seat next to Blake, Ruby was sitting next to Weiss and Alex was sitting next to Alexis.

"Alright, so this is the plan-"Yang began. "We are going back to the fancy shop and help these two to pick something, then we are just going to walk around the city and entertain ourselves! Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday right?"

"So we are just going to spend our time lollygagging doing god knows what in the city? I could be in our dorm, studying!" Yang just rolled her eyes.

"Can you at least try to have some fun? For once? Maybe you'll find something you like?" She wiggled her eyebrows for added effect. Weiss just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah Weiss! We always study, so why not have some fun?" Ruby backed up her sister, giving Weiss a multi-billion lien smile. Somehow, it miraculously worked.

"I…suppose we could do that." Ruby's smile somehow got bigger. Weiss just watched as Ruby was cheering to herself, forgetting that the others were watching her. Shaking her head she noticed that everyone was watching her.

"What?" Yang just shrugged.

"Nothing." Weiss in turn shrugged as well before looking out the window. Yang was watching the Red and White pair closely while still trying to remain calm. She was thinking about how Ruby was able to disarm the heiress somehow. Putting that thought aside for a moment, she noticed the Blake reading something on her scroll.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing, just reading the news."

"That's so boooooooring!" Blake just rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips due to her partner's reaction.

"And what do you think I should be doing?" Blake inquired, what did Yang expect her to be doing?

"I don't know, but not reading! Come on, lighten up!"

"Yang, what am I supposed to be doing to 'lighten up' on an airship ride?"

"I mean, we could tal-"her attention was taken away by the Brunette that had squeaked like a little girl.

"Damn, so close." He muttered to himself. He had taken out his scroll and was watching the Vale Premier League. GC Varcelona had almost scored against Saint Valentine Hotspur and would have extended the lead to 2-0.

"Wow, aren't you excited watching Messi playing…Scrawny man has nothing to my baby Ronaldo." A sigh escaped his lips. They had gone over this again and again and again and it was becoming irritating.

"Yang, for the seventh billionth time, statistically speaking and ON THE FIELD, Messi is a superior player in every conceivable way. All 7 does with his underwear line is stay in the small box, and wait for the ball." Yang wasn't about to give up just because he used those "facts".

"Well, atleast he doesn't flop like Messi does!" Alex just gaped like a fish….Was she serious?

"Wha-…WHAT DO YOU MEAN! Ronaldo and the Pitch are intimate friends!" Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know what intimate means?"

"No, but that is beside the point-" Alexis facepalmed, how does one run a company and not know what that means? He kept arguing with Yang, not noticing his partner. "Anyway, why do you think he is always falling? He dives more than that player that was supposed to play for the Esalalniese National Team but went with Mistral because the coach refused to take him with Eslal.

"Juame Costa?" he shook his head

"No, the other one, plays for Chel SE"

"Danny Costa?" He snapped his fingers and pointed.

"Yup, him. CR7 dives more than him."

The argument escalated quickly, with both of them shooting facts about the player they were defending.

"Ruby, do they always fight like this?" Asked Alexis, exacerbated by the situation. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, Yang almost always starts it, but rarely does she win. Ronaldo is a fantastic player. Which is why Real Mistral payed GC United ¤110,000,000 for him." Alexis nodded, a bit surprised that the Weapon fanatic knew a bit about the sport. She watches it and follows the sport but not to the same degree as the blonde or brunette, who were still going at it.

"Stat wise though, Messi absolutely destroys Ronaldo." Yang had stopped talking and turned to her sister, wide-eyed. Alex had a smug grin, smugness oozing out everywhere. Yang didn't say anything though, opting to pout instead. "Sorry Yang, it's the truth." Weiss and Blake just watched on, both a bit unused to this. They weren't uncomfortable with what was going on, quite the opposite. It was just that they aren't used to being close to people like this. They didn't exactly grow up with friends…So while they weren't entirely sure this was normal, they didn't seem to mind as much as they did at first.

They could get used to it.

Once the airship had landed, they made their way off of the crowded airship platform and onto the city street.

"Why is it so crowded today?" Weiss inquired.

"Matchday." Was Alex's response. "During Grifball match days, the cities in question are almost always busy with people trying to watch one way or another. It gets hectic. I mean, this is nothing compared to when City GC play in the Bundesliga back in Atlas."

"I forgot you used to live in Atlas for some time, how is it anyway?" Asked Yang, Ruby was also curious and nodded and Yang's question. It seemed that Blake was also interested as well.

"You'd have better luck asking Alexis and Weiss. They lived in Atlas since forever. I just lived there for two years." Yang nodded, then asked the same question to Alexis, ignoring Weiss and her indignant "Hey!"

"It's not bad, especially if you live in the smaller suburban area. I grew up with my brother around the suburban area of the Wolfsburg, which isn't too far from the capital." They both nodded.

"Wait, you have an older brother." She nodded.

"Yeah, he is 3 years older than me. We both went to the same Secondary Combat academy. Though he is a little bit weird, I still love him." They nodded.

"Not all older siblings are weird, they just like to have fun with their younger ones. Right Rubes?" Yang held Ruby by the neck, causing her to gasp for air.

"Breathe….can't….help" she squeaked out.

"Yang, you are choking out Ruby."

"She'll be fine" Weiss tried to pull Ruby out of the Blondes grasp, but Yang was a lot stronger than Weiss…

"Yang, we need a team leader and you choking Ruby isn't exactly ideal." Yang reluctantly dropped her baby sister, crossing her arms.

"You guys are just all kill joys…" she mumbled to herself. Once they finished doing…that, they made their way to the Fancy Clothes Store. They saw that it was surpassingly not that busy so they figured it would be better now than later. Yang grabbed Alexis by the arm and whisked her (read; almost removed her arm from its socket) to try something out immediately. Alex meanwhile was shown to the measurement area.

"Alright, while he is getting that done, we are going to help you find something that will make him drool over you." Alexis raised an eyebrow.

"Why is it that you are trying to help me exactly?" Yang scratched her head sheepishly..

"I uh, wanted to help out a friend in need?" She received a raised eyebrow in return. "Okay fine, maybe you can return the favor and help me with Blake?" Help her with Blake?

"What do you mean 'Help you with Blake'?" She whispered, remembering that she had better hearing that everyone else.

"Well, it's kind of that I am slowly getting more than friendly feelings for her?" This time both of Alexis eyebrows went up in surprise."

"What? And you can't go and like, talk to her?" Yang shook her head.

"Are you crazy?!" She yelled a bit too loud. Blake who was sitting about and reading magazines, looked up to them. "Heh, sorry." She gave her a small smile and nod and went back to reading. "Are you crazy?" she asked in a whisper. "If it was that easy, then you and over there should already be together….Together-Together." Alexis rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, and how do you even know that she even is into women? What if she is straight?"

"Because no one can resist my good looks. I can turn a straight person gay and a gay person straight!" She boasted. The other blonde just stared at her, deadpanned.

"Yeah, it's not working with me over here." Yang sighed.

"We've also been talking a little bit more and hanging out more often. She let it accidently slip that she is Bisexual." Alexis nodded, that was a lot more believable.

"Right, like I said before, find something you two have in common. There isn't much I can do for you."

"Come on, isn't there something you can do?" Alexis sighed, the one time she wished Atticus was here.

"I'll try to think of something, but I don't guarantee anything." The Brawler nodded happily.

"Thank You!" she grabbed Alexis into a very tight hug, she felt bones cracking in her back.

"Yang, please… It's hard to breathe."

"Heh, sorry. Alright, now let's see if we can't find anything that will make him drool all over you."

Meanwhile, with Alex, Weiss and Ruby.

While Alexis and Yang were looking for something for Alexis, Alex was getting measurements done for the Suit. He had specifically asked the seamstress to sew on his emblem (Which was a cut down version of his company logo) onto the left breast of the Suit. While he was getting that done, he noticed how Ruby was looking at a specific dress that wasn't too far off. Weiss was sitting at a chair, watching over Ruby. Presumably to make sure their cookie eating leader wouldn't go off and level half the store. Though the way that Weiss seemed to be watching Ruby was different than how Weiss would usually. It took 15 minutes to take all the measurements for his outfit, and it would take some time before Alexis would go and taker her measurements once she chose the type of dress she wanted. Once he was finished, he began walking around. He really didn't understand the importance of the social events. While he has gone to some high end rich affairs, mostly as Weiss date, he hated them with a passion. Wandering off of that thought, he mind now wandered onto what Alexis would wear. Recently he had been having different thoughts about the Blonde. While he enjoyed her company, and he suspected the same from her, he had been seeing her in a different light. Something that was exemplified during the previous night's sudden "Initiation". Despite the fact that he runs a multi-billion lien corporation, he has missed out on certain aspects that would help now that he was thinking about it. Maybe he would have been able to figure out what the feelings mean. Sighing, he looked around at all the different fabrics, and dress examples on display. He saw Blake not too far off, presumably waiting for Yang to finish up with his partner. His mind slowly drifted back to her, what would she wear?

'I mean, whatever she chooses to wear, she will look great in' he thought to himself, not stopping himself from imagining her in different outfits around the store. He felt something funny around his lower pelvic region, but thought nothing of it as he walked around.

Yang had noticed him walking around and sprung her plan into action, talking abit more loudly so that he could hear and possibly walk over to them.

"Alexis, why don't you try this? I am sure that everyone will agree that this is the best looking one." She handed her the one in question, motioning that he was coming this way.

Alex heard Yang talking, presumably to Alexis. His curiosity got the better of him as he started walking towards where the two blondes were at. Peeking, he saw the dress in question and his eye widened. He had to agree with Yang, it was one of the best looking ones. (Insert description of dress once found here).

While he didn't see her, Yang was grinning as he watched his jaw go slack for a little bit. She winked to Alexis, letting her know that he does indeed approve of it. She grinned back, happy that he was impressed.

"Ruby, you have been staring at that dress for almost fifteen minutes now. What about it is so important?" Weiss asked, knowing fully well that it was the same design Ruby had chosen but couldn't afford.

"Oh, um nothing." She lied, horribly at that. "It's just that it's really pretty?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. Ruby sighed, and took a breath.

"It's just that, Ididn'thaveanymoneytobuyminesoihadtoleaveitbehinddespitethefactthatwewerehereiamonyfifteenandthemoneyihadiusedtobuycookiesandammoformysweetheartand-" Weiss stopped Ruby before she could go any further.

"Let me see if I understood that. You had to leave your dress behind because you spent the money on cookies and ammo?" Weiss faked irritation, but still caused Ruby to look scared. "What am I going to do with you?" She sighed. "Look, we will find a way to fix this. For now, let's just wait for the blonde to finish up with the Blonde so we can leave."

"So wait, you aren't mad?" Asked Ruby.

"Of course I'm mad!" She said that with a bit more acid than she meant, immediately regretting it when she saw how Ruby flinched. She sighed again, softening her facial features. "We shall see what we can do ok? For now, let's just wait." Ruby nodded.

"Thanks Weiss."

"Don't thank me yet, once we find you something that isn't the drapes then you can thank me dolt." She nodded again. Blake had watched the ordeal from where she was sitting. She also saw how Weiss had actually bought Ruby the outfit, but she wasn't about to say anything. It did seem like Ruby was doing a good job of thawing the Ice Queen's heart.

It had been around half an hour after Weiss had decided to 'help' Ruby. The White and Red pair were sitting down, Ruby was reading a weapons magazine while Weiss tried to pay attention to the Magazine she was reading. She would occasionally see Ruby peek up from her magazine before quickly looking back down, as if she was trying to pretend she wasn't staring. She thought nothing of it so she just kept quiet. Eventually, Yang had finished, Alexis in tow as she went over to the register to Checkout. Blake saw the two and got up, stretching as she had been sitting for the better part of an hour. Alex came out of the bathroom, looking a lot more relieved. He grabbed the invoice and also made for the checkout. At the register, it seemed that Alexis was having a bit of an issue.

"Miss, it seems that your card has been declined." Her eyes widened as she took the card back and looked at. It had expired and getting a replacement one would take about a week. Sighing, .0…..She was about to leave it when someone came to her aid from behind her.

"If you don't mind, can you charge these two together?" Alex gestured to his invoice and the dress.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Alexis asked, surprised.

"I do owe you for yesterday. This isn't exactly a balanced trade, so think of it as a start." He took out his wallet and paid for the items, requesting that the dress be shipped and arrive tomorrow. That way they didn't have to go around the city while carrying bags.

"You really don't have to do that, I just patched you up was all." She tried, he really didn't have to do this.

"Nein, I do. You saved my life twice. This is the least I can do for you." Seeing as he wasn't going to give in, she nodded.

"OK, you win, Thank you though." He just waved his head, dismissing it.

"Nonsense, if anything I need to thank you." She just smiled and shook her head before walking to join the rest of the group. Grabbing the Receipt and making sure everything was in order, he shoved the receipt into his wallet before joining the rest of the group.

"Alright then? So now what are we going to do?" Ruby asked Yang, they had left the Store and were now walking around the city. It had calmed down a little bit since they arrive but it was still busy.

"We have fun! We don't have to be back at the airship platform until around like eleven, so we have more than enough time to have some fun!" She then grabbed Blake and ran off.

"Wait, where are-" Blake was cut off as the Blonde raced with her in tow. Now it was just Ruby, Weiss, Alexis and Alex. As they continued to walk along, chatting about nothing in particular Ruby spotted a weapons shop. The three of them watched as Ruby drooled over everything through the window, describing the best weapons she saw. Weiss tried to pay attention but not even Ruby's excitement could make Weapons fascinating. Alexis also couldn't really get into what Ruby was saying, all she knew was that her DUEL DISK was do for an upgrade and the longsword was the first thing to go. That gave her an idea.

"Ruby?" The redhead in question turned to face her. "Would you mind helping me upgrade my weapon?" Ruby's eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked, bouncing giddily. Alexis grinned and nodded. Ruby never got to mess with anyone's weapons, and yet here Alexis was giving her the opportunity to upgrade hers! Not wasting another second, she grabbed her by the arm and pulled into the shop.

"We are going to be here for a little bit, we'll meet with you guys later!" Ruby said as she dragged the blonde into the store." Weiss and Alex blinked at what they had just saw. Weiss began to walk away, so he quickly caught up to her.

"So what now? Both of our partners are occupied, and our other teammates have gone off somewhere."

"I don't know. Where do you think they went anyway?" She asked.

"I don't know. Probably somewhere where Yang will get the two of them killed." He shrugged in response.

* * *

Author's Note: I was honestly thinking of scraping the whole "They go to Vale", as was having a small case of the Writers Block for this chapter. Which is the reason I updated my other story Project Lunch Hour (Shameless Plug likes to be Shameless), dropping the "PNA" Subtitle as my original plan was to include snippets from here onto there. I still plan on doing that, but that seems to be going a different direction than originally planned. Probably something similar to a story I read here by a favorite author of Mine "Raziel12" that is filled with mostly fluff and what not. Who knows...Anyway, another thing is me having trouble putting my thoughts on paper...Or on Microsoft Word. I usually have ideas when driving to and from school or walking my dog. They go through my head during that time but when I get home, nothing. One other thing before I leave, is that I need to do some more alterations to the Background of "Him" as it won't really be of importance in the plot. Aside from that, I need to also start writing the later chapters in the way I had them in my head. But, that will happen in do time. I shall now leave you all for now, I have already taken up your time as it is but will leave you with a reminder to leave some feedback, I very much appreciate it. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 19

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While Alexis was with a very excited and hyperactive Ruby in the Weapons Shop, and Alex was walking with Weiss, Yang had excitedly grabbed Blake and made haste to separate themselves from the group. It wasn't because she didn't want to spend time with them, quite the opposite in fact. She would love nothing more to spend time teasing Alexis about her situation or laughing and having fun with Ruby or irritating the Ice Queen. The problem was that she wouldn't have an opportunity like this for a while.

With qualifying literally right around the corner, their mission not too long after, they wouldn't have time to go to the city or have a significant amount of free time now that business was picking up and Beacon. Sure Yang had been 'hanging out' with Blake, but they weren't really. It was just Yang giving Blake some company. Blake didn't mind it so long as the Blonde didn't interrupt her while she was reading. Yang meanwhile tried her hardest to make some form of communication with the Faunus.

Slowly, and I mean slowly, but surely she had been making steady progress trying to get Blake to speak to her a lot more often, to try to get her out of her comfort zone. It had been working, and the confrontation in the Classroom some time ago seemed to have a surprisingly better effect on Blake than Yang originally thought. All she wanted was for her to get some rest and stop worrying over Roman. It was bordering near an obsession, an obsession that she explained to the Faunas almost got her and Ruby killed. She didn't want that to happen to Blake.

Blake would end up tiring herself looking for Torchwick, go to literally the ends of the earth while neglecting her own health, abandon those who care about her and possibly even leave the school, then when she does finally find what she was looking for risk not having the strength to fight. It would most certainly end in her being injured or even killed.

The two of them had been running for a couple of blocks now. Well, when the word 'running' is being used In this situation, it's more like Yang running and Blake having no other option lest risk her arm being pulled out of its socket and off of her body completely. Eventually though, they did stop running and continued at walking pace instead. Yang let go of Blake's arm, the Faunus oddly missing the warmth it brought.

It was weird how she felt as she was being pulled along. Aside from the pain of her arm risking dislocation, she felt…Happy. She didn't know why exactly, but just the fact that Yang had taken off with her she couldn't keep the small grin off her face. Yang had been slowly worming her way into Blake's good graces, if you will.

She had been successful at making small talk and Blake found that she and Yang actually had somethings in common. Along with discovering some interesting facts while Yang somewhat forced her to play 20 questions, like the fact that she likes to read Fiction. While she knew Yang wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, it did surprise her that she was actually quite intelligent. Maybe she had underestimated her all this time. She had thought of the Blonde as brash, with no filter and basically just the blonde and older equivalent to Ruby. She was almost wrong on everything except the hyperactivity and no filter…and brash…. It surprised Blake how she would act when in a group such as when they were with the rest of their teammates or with team JNPR versus how she acted when they were by themselves.

That wasn't to say that Blake didn't like how Yang had seemingly endless amounts of energy. Quite the contrary, she secretly admired how Yang was able to light up a room with her presence, metaphorically of course. Yang could light a room physically, but that would just end with Beacon missing a few rooms….or hallways…

Her time during the White Fang had told her and drilled into her from a young age that all humans were the same. They were just going out to hurt you. Regardless of who it is, what they do to you, they will end up hurting you. Blake never believed that and was thankful that she didn't let herself be led on by the lie. If she had, she wouldn't have been able to smile when Yang would say something that would embarrass herself. She mentally went over everything the White Fang had said about humans and started to challenge each claim. Her evidence? The person who was walking next to her. Unfortunately before she could finish, Yang had stopped in front of what she assumed was their destination.

"And here we are!" She said as she looked up at the sign. This took her by surprise. Out of all places, she chose here? Not that she minded of course, it was the Vale branch of Hinds & Noble , the largest one in all of remnant. If you couldn't get a book here, then it probably doesn't exist. "I remember you telling me a while ago that you wanted to come here, so here we are." Blake couldn't stop the small butterfly like feeling in her chest. She actually remembered that offhand comment?

"Yang, I..I don't know what to say." Yang grinned. She gave herself a mental high-five for leaving the usually stoic Blake speechless.

"Why say anything? Your reaction speaks for itself. Let's go inside and see whats what." She nodded as she followed the Blonde inside.

* * *

While Blake and Yang were there, Alex and Weiss were walking around the city. They didn't talk as they just walked around. He did a lot of looking around though, just glancing through store windows or something of the sort. It was about ten minutes of peaceful and awkward silence, before Weiss broke the peaceful and awkward silence.

"How long do you think that dolt will be in the weapons shop?" She asked, looking up at him. He just shrugged as he kept walking straight.

"Knowing how Ruby is when it comes to weapons, Alexis will have to carry her out or we will have to pull her out." Weiss said nothing in response to that. A few moments passed before she asked another question.

"How do you know them? Yang and Ruby I mean." He contemplated that for a second before answering.

"My parents were close friends of their Parents. How close? That I don't know. But I would assume very close. So naturally I would go to their house to play while they talked about whatever it is grownups talk about." Weiss nodded but said nothing, she really didn't know what kids did at that age. She had the unfortunate luck of living in the Schnee household were she basically had her path set in stone from the moment she was born. She nodded, silence passed them for a few moments

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked, seeing as how they were just walking. He checked the time quickly before turning to her.

"Best Fry's!" She raised an eyebrow

"Why are we going to some electronic store?"

"Well, we are going to go buy a TV for Yang. She has been going on and on and on about the damn thing. Might as well go now while we have the chance."

"And you know which one she wants?" She asked skeptically. He simply nodded.

"Yup! She showed me one the one she wanted the other day." She hummed to herself. As they were walking, she noticed how some people were talking quietly to themselves. She could hear how some of them refereed to her as the "Schnee Brat" or other less than pleasant things. She also heard whispers of the boy walking next to her, seeming to be oblivious to the people around them. They did end up reaching the Vale Best Fry's. Walking inside, they were met with a vast place full of every piece of technological innovation from the almost every company in the world. Looking around for a second, he found the Television and home theater area was in the very back of the store. Instead of going straight to the TV's, Alex made a right in the Consumer Computer Hardware Section. Weiss just raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was up to.

There was another reason he had to come to Best Fry's. Apart from having to order Yang's TV (Atletico De Mistral let him down again, this time against McAfee United XI) he also had to find a new processor for his watch. It had overheated for the fifth time yesterday during the initiation and it almost got him killed since he couldn't control the air compressors. Looking around, he couldn't find the one he was looking for.

The one currently in use was the IMD Core FX 7. In Atlas it was great, no overheating issues due to the climate and because it ran cool it ran fast. Really fast. Unfortunately, he wasn't in Atlas anymore and was overheating more often than he deemed safe. Looking at the high shelf, he found exactly the one he was looking for. The IMD Zen Core 7 codenamed "Prominence". Grabbing it, he turned to his left to see Weiss watching him.

"What?" Weiss shook her head.

"It's nothing, let's just find Yang's TV and leave." He raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in attitude.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you all of a sudden in a pissy mood?"

"It's nothing" She answered sharply.

"Fine, whatever." He said, not bothering to make eye contact.

They found the home theater area, which isn't hard to miss at all. TV's of all sizes were hung on the walls. Instead of trying to find the exact model on display, he pulled out his scroll and went over to a sales clerk and asked about it. Meanwhile, Weiss just looked around at the TV's while also trying to ignore the one thing that was bothering her. Usually what people say doesn't bother her, it irritates her but doesn't really upset her. But something that a woman said to her husband while they made their way to the store did hit closer to home.

"Who would fall in love with a Schnee? They just use, abuse and then move one to the next person. She is the same as her father, hell her mother was probably like that too. Spoiled Brat. Probably got everything she wanted from daddy by asking for it." If only they knew her father, they wouldn't make claims like that. Her father was cold, unforgiving and placed the company before family. Weiss rarely got to see him and whenever she did see him, she just was yelled at and told she was useless. If it wasn't for her sister she would have probably been killed. Weiss wasn't just some robot, and people seemed to forget that she was a human being as well. One that had the unfortunate luck of being associated with the Crimes against Faunus, ones she didn't even know happened. But the first thing that lady said "Who could love a Schnee." She was going to ask for some advice on how to approach Ruby, maybe even ask her to the dance. But Weiss realized something. Ruby was too kind, too pure to be with her. Weiss was already tainted with the blood of thousands of Faunus, just by simply being born. Ruby didn't have that. Ruby wasn't going to like having the spotlight being on her constantly. She was in extreme thought and failed to notice that Alex had finished buying the TV.

"Weiss? You alright? You were spacing out." She jumped a little, hoping that he didn't see.

"It's nothing, just thinking." She replied, hoping to drop the subject. Unfortunately, he was oblivious to that and pressed the issue.

"Thinking about what? Come on Weiss, talk to meeeeee!" He whined in a childish voice. The way he acted reminded her of Ruby a little. The way the two eat junk food and the way the two seem to have similar interests… Those thoughts got Weiss' gears turning. Seeing that he was not going to drop the issue, she had nothing to lose so she spilled the beans.

"It's about the dance." He stopped acting like a child and just rolled his eyes.

"Really? That's what you're worried about? You and Yang will do fine as the planning committee. You guys are doing great! I just really wish you could drop the doilies." She sighed in frustration.

"No, not the planning. It's getting a date to the dance." He just looked at her confusedly. She could ask anyone out and they would go with her. What was the problem?

"I don't see the problem. Anyone would want to go with you." She pinched the bridge of her nose, couldn't he just pick up the damn hints?

"I don't want just anyone." He just rolled his eyes.

"Just go and talk to whoever it is you want to ask out to the dance. Seriously Weiss, it isn't that hardest thing in the world. What I am going to do once we get back to Beacon, that is going to be hard." They both her an "EHHHHHHH" from outside, the voice sounding like Yang's. She had nothing to lose at this point…

"I want to ask out Ruby to the dance." She said quickly, looking down. Alex was even more confused.

"Wait, run that by me again. This time go slower." Weiss to a deep breath before repeating what she said.

"I want to ask out Ruby." She looked up to see him with a raised eyebrow. She started to panic a little on the inside. Is he homophobic? Does he think that she is a freak?

"Then go and ask her out" he said simply, not at all the response she thought she was going to get..

"Wait, so you don't care that I'm-"she looked around, seeing that they were in an empty area, she got close and whispered "a lesbian?"

"Uh, am I supposed to care?"

"I didn't mean it like that! It was just, some people would see other homosexuals as weird. You don't find that…Odd?" he just shook his head.

"Weiss, I may be a year younger than all of you, I have seen some shit let me tell you. I honestly couldn't care about my teams sexual preferences. If it makes you all happy, then who the fuck has the right to interfere and stand in the way of your happiness?"

"Wait, you know what 'Sexual Preferences' mean, yet you still can't take any hints Alexis drops?" She asked, in turn causing him to look at her, confused.

"What hints?" Wow… Sighing in frustration, she went back to the topic at hand

"Back to my issue. I honestly think that Ruby would be better off with someone who isn't a snobby, spoiled brat like me." She told him sadly, walking out the store.

"That's nonsense" she looked up at him, but said nothing. He understood and kept going "Weiss, haven't you noticed that Ruby prefers spending her time with you? Even if it's to study, she'll do it. She doesn't carry the same energy when you're around. And the same thing works when the roles are reversed. You seem to be on your A-Game whenever Ruby is with you, and whenever she isn't you close yourself underneath that hardened shell of yours. Ruby's made progress of getting you out of it. Think about it for a second Weiss. This is the most I've seen you not in an irritated mood, and this is the most I've seen Ruby be as energetic in quite some time." He explained. She still wasn't convinced.

"But the probability that she'll return my feelings is low, she doesn't even swing that way!" She said that a bit louder than she wanted, but no one on the sidewalk seemed to care"

"And how do you know that? Have you asked her?" The white haired heiress shook her head. "Then don't make assumptions and rule yourself out. Ruby is very open minded. Who knows, maybe she even has feeling for you." He mused.

"That isn't funny!" she hit him in the shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain.

"I wasn't joking. Take a second to actually see Ruby when you are around her. She seems to have more energy around you. And somhow you seem to make her happy, which is something I nor Yang could figure out."

"Yang?"

"The other day while Blake and Alexis were with Pyrrah and Ren, Yang and I were in the library while you two studied a couple of tables away. She said that Ruby was happier around you for some odd reason. She didn't really understand that and to be frankly blunt neither do I." that cause Weiss to glare up at him, but he was unfazed. "She thinks that Ruby may be developing feelings for you, which a very big possibility is considering that whenever you two are not together, her enthusiasm isn't as big as it is. It's as if…" He contemplated his words for a second "It's as if she almost actively tries to make you happy or smile. You don't do it often, but have you noticed how Ruby beams whenever she gets at least a smirk from you?' Weiss shook her head "The next time, take a quick look. It's as if she has figured out the meaning of life or a endless supply of cookies." Weiss didn't say anything. She was thinking about what she had heard. If it was true that Ruby had feeling for her, then it would now be a game of chicken to see who would ask the other out first. Before she could say anything else, Alex asked her something.

"Speaking of Ruby, where is she?" Weiss shrugged, before grabbing her scroll from her pocket and firing off a quick text to her teammate.

Weiss: Where are you two? Are you done yet?

Not even 15 seconds later did she receive a response.

Ruby: We're at ammunition, we have everything for Alexis weapon but we can't build it here. The test bench is broken.

Weiss rolled her eyes at the emoticon but a small, ghosting smile formed.

Weiss: I'm sure she can handle building it herself. She is a big girl and she has a somewhat competent partner…I would assume.

Ruby: Yeah, but I wanna see the fruits of my seeds!

Weiss raised an eyebrow, that isn't how it went.

Weiss: You mean fruits of your labor?

Ruby: Yeah! Wait, Crap!

Weiss: What? What happened?

That wasn't good, she started to worry as ruby didn't respond immediately like she did. All her worries subsided when she received the next message from her.

Ruby: Niether of us have money! We can't pay for this and I forgot!

Weiss just rolled her eyes. She was sure that Ruby had something for Crescent Rose in the basket as well.

Weiss: It's fine, we'll be there in a couple of minutes.

Ruby: Wait, What?

Weiss didn't respond as the two of them walked to the Weapons store.

* * *

Ammunation

Alexis just watched, amused as Ruby zipped from shelf to shelf, ohhing and aweing at all the different weapons parts and trying to grab as many as she could in her arms.

"Ruby, Im pretty sure I don't need all of that. I just want to replace this long sword" Ruby deflated slightly but was still excited to help. "I was thinking something like Pyrrah's Milo" Ruby nodded before she started rapid firing questions at the Blonde.

"Do you want a longer blade or shorter one? Does it need to be curved? Sharp on one or both? Does it need to be a gun? What materials should it be made of?" Alexis got lost somewhere as all these questions where fired within the same breath.

"Run that by me again, a bit slowly please"

About a half hour later, Alexis had everything she needed to update her weapon. Unfortunately, the test bench had been broken due to the fact someone had tried testing a Multi-Dust High Explosive Impact Grenade a few months ago. So they had to ask the store owner to ship the parts to their dorm. Luckily, same day delivery was an option so they went with that. It wasn't until then that it hit them both at the same time… They had no money. Luckily, around that time Weiss had texted Ruby telling her that she was on her way with Alex to the store. Ruby was hoping that Weiss would find it in her heart to maybe bail her out…again.

Not too long after, Weiss and Alex stepped into the store and Ruby immediately went over to her partner with the best puppy dog eyes she could muster up.

"Weissimsorrypleasedontyellatmeiforgetcouldyoupleasehelpusoutpleaseipromisenottobotheryouanymoreifyoujus-"Weiss cut off Ruby's excessively long rambling.

"Ruby, its fine. I assume you have some parts in there for Crescent Rose, Right? Ruby nodded.

"Yup! My sweetheart needed some minor upgrades so they are in the basket." The White Haired girl rolled her eyes at the description of the Sniper Scythe before walking over to Alex, who was talking to Alexis.

"Mind if I borrow him for a second?" The blonde blinked for a second before nodding.

"What?" he asked her.

"Look, Ruby has some stuff for Crescent Rose. I'll pay for hers and you pay for Alexis. She is your partner after all." He just stared at her, deadpanned.

"Gee, nice to see some Schnee generosity…" He said sarcastically. It was Weiss turn to roll her eyes.

"Oh please, you have as much money as I do." She said nonchalantly.

"Whatever." He walked back over to Alexis as Weiss walked over to Ruby.

"Do you have your things?" She asked Ruby, who nodded. They went over to the counter to checkout. Weiss saw through the corner of her eye how Ruby was smiling to herself.

'Looks like he isn't completely dense then' she thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, behind them.

"You have an outline of the weapon you are going to make right?" He asked Alexis as the waited.

"Yeah, it's just weight reduction and replacement of this ancient longsword. I made it when I made the DUEL DISK, but it's starting to show its age. I'm surprised it's held up this long." He nodded. "What did you buy?" She asked him.

"I bought Yang her TV so she could stop moaning about it. And I bought this!" He showed her the Blue and White Box. It had the IMD Logo and the Model Number.

"Isn't this a computer part or something?" She asked, curious as to why he needed it.

"Yeah, the one in here." He pointed to the watch on his wrist. "Was irritating me with its constant overheating. So I went out and bought this. Supposedly it runs up to 30% cooler. After I mess with it a little it should be around 50% cooler." Alexis nodded, thinking to herself about how long it would actually take him to upgrade. Alexis own weapon would take at most 3 hours to assemble and make sure it worked properly. His weapon on the other hand seemed to be as complicated, if not more so, than even Crescent Rose. From what he told her earlier in the year, Crescent Rose has over 200 functional parts. But they were at least visible for the most part to the naked eye and could be seen if dropped in carpet. Alex's Watch on the other hand, was not. It had over 250 parts, all of which were within the casing and if any one part goes missing or breaks that was the end of that until he received a replacement.

Weiss finished paying, in which Ruby spent her time still profusely thanking Weiss for her unusual generosity. As the two went up to pay, he asked the clerk to send his purchased item along with the rest of her stuff through the same day delivery. He paid for same day delivery and after signing a release that said the store wasn't responsible for the item if it was lost, stolen or damaged, he paid and that was the end of that. It was Alexis turn to thank him profusely.

"Alex, Thank you so, so much for doing that. I'll find a way to pay you back I swear." She tried, but he wasn't having any of that.

"Lex, its fine. Look, I still owe you for basically saving my life. How about I take the entire team to lunch. Sound like a plan? Ruby, who was in front of them, agreed.

"Yeah! Weiss can us? Please?" again, the eyes came into play and Weiss didn't even have to look to agree.

"I suppose we could…"

"YAY! This is the best trip to Vale ever!" She expressed her happiness by doing a little dance, amusing the others who were watching her.

"Where is Yang? And Blake for that matter?" Asked Alexis.

"Oh, they are at Hind & Noble Bookstore. Yang wanted to take Blake their so that…she…could…" She stopped talking after she realized that she had basically just outed her sister.

"She wanted to impress Blake or something?" Ruby nodded, hiding her head in her hands. Yang was going to kill her.

"Alright, let's go get the two of them. I'm sure that Yang would love to take Blake out." Teased Alexis, eliciting a groan from Ruby.

* * *

Nothing much I can say except to leave some feedback por favor. Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 20

* * *

Blake was amazed at how large the store was from the inside. From the outside it looked big, but inside it was somehow bigger. Though she couldn't shake the nagging feeling at the back of her head. Yang said that she had something for her. Turning her head, she noticed that the Blonde wasn't behind her. She looked around and Yang was nowhere to be seen. Blake shrugged, she assumed that her partner had gone off to find some magazines or something. She turned to the fiction section to see if she could find the book. Tracing her finger over the spines, she eventually found what she was looking for. Before grabbing it, she looked to see if no one was around her. Seeing the coast was clear, she grabbed the book from the shelf and saw the price for just renting it. She immediately placed it back, regretting checking the price.

She knew that Ninjas of Love was a very popular franchise, but ¤179.99 for the latest "Ninja's of Love: Fifty Five Thousand Shades of Gray" was a little bit too expensive for a book. Sighing sadly, she decided to make sure that Yang didn't end up burning the store or something. Blake walked around the very large book store, having not found the brawler anywhere. Turning a corner, she entered the Children's section and immediately stopped at what she saw.

Yang was sitting on small leather chair, several children both human and Faunus sitting together as she read to them aloud.

"And the Wolf said 'Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!'" she said in a deep voice, receiving praise from the children. Yang noticed that Blake had arrived and just smiled. Before she could go on however the librarian had come to tell the children that story time was over, eliciting a bunch of groans from the children. As they got up and made their way to their parent's, a child with dog ears matching his hair color went up to the blonde.

"Will you come back and read to us again?" he inquired, hoping that she would. Blake clearly heard the child's tone and how he wanted her to comeback.

"Maybe." She tells him. The boy looks down sadly and his ears droop. Yang notices and kneels to face him. "What's the matter?" He just kicks the ground slightly.

"Well, the other reader doesn't let me sit with the others. She makes me sit far away from everyone and I can't see the pictures." Yang frowned, is the other Children's reader that hateful of a person? To deny a child, no matter whether they are a human or faunus, the opportunity to learn and be entertained?

"Do you want someone different to read to you?" he nodded. "How about this, I'll go talk to the librarian lady to see if we can't fix that." Getting up, she walked with the boy to the librarian. It wasn't even three minutes before the librarian hastily agreed to whatever Yang had told her. The dog faunus beamed as he went to go play with the other children in the designated area.

"I didn't know that you read to children in your spare time" Blake commented as Yang turned to face her, rubbing a hand through her mane.

"Eh, the old hag who does was a no-show. I saw how the kids were upset so I asked if I could. I don't mind reading to them, I did read to Ruby after all." That was true, Yang described how Ruby would always fall asleep while Yang read to her. Blake nodded, opting not to answer. "Did you find anything you were looking for?" she asked, Yang knew that she wanted to find that new "Ninja's of Love" book. It was the whole reason she opted to go here instead of somewhere like the mall.

"No, well technically yes. It's just that it's really, really expensive. Honestly I think I would have better luck finding it on some fanfiction website for free." Yang chuckled.

"Fair enough, just make sure it's actually good and the guy doesn't stick in some random characters or something." It was Blake's turn to laugh, Yang internally cheered for her minor accomplishment.

"Yeah, it probably go really bad or it would start out weird and I'd most likely move on to something else." Yang nodded in agreement.

"Gotta nail that first couple of paragraphs or the reader gets uninterested right? Makes him wanna read something better." Blake nodded but said nothing. "What was the book you were trying to get anyway?" Yang asked, faking curiosity. She wanted to see if Blake would admit to it.

Blake chuckled nervously and looked around. "Oh, just some book on Faunus Rights and the like. You wouldn't be interested."

"Nah, I probably would. Gotta make sure my partner is happy after all. So why don't you lead me to this book then? Make sure it's worth its price." She said, nudging Blake to lead the way. It was obvious Blake was nervous, but she lead the way anyway.

Blake decided to go through the fiction section, where her actual book was. Yang was looking at the spines, running her finger down them as they walked along until one book in particular caught her eye. Blake noticed that the blonde was no longer following her and turned to see what happened. Her eyes widened and her face drained of color.

Yang had picked up the "Fifty Five thousands Shades of Gray" and was flipping through the pages. She watched as Yang's eye's widened, and how she licked her lips slightly. She noticed how the blonde was shifting slightly. Clearing her throat, Yang jumped a bit before sliding the book back.

"Are you done?" she asked her partner. Blake received a nod in return, but she noticed how Yang's face had gotten a little bit red.

"Y-yeah, lead the way onward!" She pointed. Blake turned around, thoughts going through her mind as Yang snatched the book back and concealed it on her person. She was definitely going to buy it for Blake. As if Yang Xiao Long would read something as lewd and imaginative…and oddly satisfying book such as that! Nope, this was for Blake. Blake eventually did lead her to the section of the library with books on history of the world. Blake quickly grabbed the first book on Faunus discrimination she could find.

"Here it is, Faunus discrimination of the Past 25 Years" She showed the book to Yang.

"This is the book that you wanted?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow. She could've sworn that Beacon had several copies of it in their library, for free no less! But, she decided to humor Blake and went with it. "So are you going to buy it?" Blake's eyes widened in surprise.

"Uh, I was but I didn't bring any money." She explained.

"Well, lucky days for you then! I'll buy it for you."

"No, you don't have to do that." She tried, but Yang wasn't going to have any of that and using her feminine charm, she persuaded Blake otherwise.

"Don't be silly, it's my treat!" Blake sighed before relenting, regretting showing her that book knowing the Blonde as about to waste her money. She gave Yang the book before walking over to the counter. "Is this it?" she asked the Faunus.

"Yeah, thank you Yang. You didn't have to do this." She tried one more time, but Yang was determined. Plus she was going to drop the book anyway. Nodding and saying nothing, she waited at the bench near the door while Yang checked out.

"Hello! Will this be all for you today?" the woman at the register asked.

Yang nodded. "Yes, but can you place this book back? I'm only buying this one. She pointed to the very expensive book." The lady nodded.

"Of course, would you like it bagged or would you rather we ship it to you? Same day delivery at no extra charge!" She told Yang, who accepted with no problem. How convenient for all these stores to ship and deliver same day. "Would you like to also receive a code for the digital copy of this series, including this book?" Yang again nodded, giving the woman her email address. "Ok, that'll be ¤194.22 please." The blonde looked over the items and took out a credit card. On it was not her name. In fact, the card was all black, had three letters on it that were Blue and White, and said "Alex M. ROJO" on it. She swiped the card, prompting her to sign on the small pad before printing out her receipt.

"Here is your receipt dear, have a wonderful day." She thanked the lady before walking over to Blake, who was sitting and just looking around.

"Ready to go?" She asked, Blake giving her a nod in confirmation. She also gave Yang a smile of gratitude.

"Thanks for that Yang, you honestly didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense, think of it as a sort of gift. We aren't going to spend as much time together because of our schedules, so maybe you can-" she was interrupted by a ding coming from her scroll. They were outside now, the sun making it difficult to read what was on screen.

"Who was it?" Blake asked.

"It's Rubes, she said that Alexis, Alex, Ice Queen and herself are going to get lunch. Alex is buying." Yang got a huge grin on her face but another ding shot it down. Blake noticed how Yang deflated completely.

"What did that text say?"

"Ruby said "Alex said no All-you-can-eat-buffets'. Damn." The faunus just rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Where are they anyway?"

"They are at the Trump Plaza. It's about a five minute walk from here." Blake nodded and followed Yang. As they walked through the suddenly crowded streets, Blake noticed how her partner's hips swayed as she walked. Her eyes roamed her partner's body, sudden images of scenes from her favorite books coming to mind. She tried to clear her very lewd mind, slapping herself lightly.

'That was…something. Why am I thinking of these scenarios? I mean, Yang is very pretty, but she wouldn't want to go for someone like me. Right?' Great, now she was having an internal debate with herself.

Before she realized it, they had arrived at the plaza. The two instantly spotted the others sitting at the fountain. Ruby had just thrown a coin in as Weiss just watched as Ruby placed her face inches from the surface. Alex and Alexis were next to them, talking about something random. They both turned at the same time and waved the Black and Yellow pair over.

"Hey Yang, Blake. Find what you were looking for?" Asked Alexis. Her tone sounded a little more…of, but they both waived it off.

"Yeah" responded Yang "A bit pricey, but all's well" Ruby looked up from where she was at the edge of the stone of the fountain.

"So where are we going to go eat? Alex is buying which means we can have anything." He raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Alexis interjected with her own statement.

"Because you are stupidly rich, as rich as Weiss is. Plus you invited us, never specified where." He gave her a deadpanned stare.

"Gee, thank Lex. I'm so glad that you helped me out." His voice dripped sarcasm. She just rolled her eyes.

"No problem, I'm here to help!" it was his turn to roll his eyes, but he was stopped short of saying anything as Weiss began to speak.

"Why don't we go to the new place we passed by on our way here? I read some of the reviews already and almost all of them are positive." She explained.

"Of course you would read the reviews." Yang joked.

"Of course! I wouldn't go to a filthy establishment that served only greasy hamburgers and fries."

"Hey!" Alex whined "Those are awesome! McBeth's French fries are some of the best around!"

"Eating that isn't a proper diet for an up and coming hunter such as yourself." Weiss said.

"Gee, thanks mom. I'll keep that in mind the next time I go." He said with the roll of his eyes. Seeing that this could turn into an argument, Ruby stepped in.

"Alright, to the fancy place we go!" She proceeded to walk to the left.

"It's this way, Ruby." She turned around, walking with her head down and mumbled a 'thanks' as she passed by Weiss.

They arrived at the eatery and opted to take a seat outside. Their waiter came and took their orders before rushing back inside. He returned with drinks in hand. Iced Tea for Weiss, Milk for Ruby, Regular Tea for Blake, Dr. Fizzle for Alex, and regular No-Cola for Yang and Alexis.

"We should buy some clothes after we eat. Wearing the same thing over and over again gets bland." Suggested Yang. Weiss shook her head.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I am perfectly content with the outfits in my wardrobe." She said, crossing her arms. Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Weiss, your closet is like Alex's closet. It's the same thing." she ignored the indignant 'Hey'. "Besides, wouldn't you like to have something else to wear besides the same jacket and dress?"

"It's a combat skirt! And besides, where am I going to go that requires me to dress more like…him" he pointed to Alex, who was pouting like a child.

"I don't know, whenever you want to have a little bit more fun that have a stick up your-"

"Don't finish that sentence. Look, I'm glad you care about my wardrobe situation but I'll just stick to what I have."

"Come on Weiss, it'll be fun! Don't your feet ever hurt from always walking in those heels? You can buy better shoes!" Ruby asked her. Come to think about it, her feet have been starting to hurt a little today. But she wasn't about to give in that easily.

"It's just one of the many things that one such as myself must endure. I have an image to uphold and if that means slight discomfort, then so be it."

"Please Weiss? I'll help you pick something out?" She produced her best puppy dog face, tilting her head slightly.

Weiss, the heiress to the largest Company the world have ever seen, huntress in training, someone that should fear nothing and induces fear to many… Fought and lost miserably as she caved in to Ruby. That could bring down even the manliest of men to their knees that puppy dog face.

"Fine, you win." She relented.

"Yes" she fist pumped and cheered to herself. Weiss couldn't stop a miniscule smile from appearing on her face as she watched Ruby do a little victory dance. Yang was watching the pair like a mother hawk, Weiss turned to and noticed the blonde staring at her.

"What?"

"OH, Nothing." She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing

Their waiter returned with their food and they dug in. Weiss ordered something with more vegetables than anything else, Ruby ordered something with a somewhat balanced mix of meat, beans and vegetables, Yang and Alex ordered a dish that was basically meat and a single cucumber slice, Alexis went for something perfectly balanced, and Blake settled with Fish…Lots of it.

"Iss ,dash uo t gro" said Ruby with her mouthful.

"Dolt, don't talk with your mouthful." Ruby swallowed her food before trying again.

"I said, that's why you don't grow. You need to eat carbs. Not a lot to make you fat or anything, but like meat, or fish." Explained Ruby. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, but I am not taking medical advice from you. Besides, I'm just a late bloomer." She said, Yang was about to make a joke but started to choke on her food. Coughing violently, Blake gave her a strong pat on the back and she spit the offending piece of food over the table and straight to the trash can.

"3 Points!" She said. Blake and Weiss rolled their eyes and noticed Alexis and Alex were too busy talking to each other. Yang noticed Blake staring at the two and the others followed suit, Yang giving the signal to not say anything as they stared. She wanted to see how long it would take them to notice the rest of them.

"So the cop did a handbrake turn and got out of the car as it was turning, casually just getting out as the car was spinning. The bad guys were going to try and run him down, but the Cop shot his front tire and made the car flip. It flipped in the air and the cop pulled him out of the car as it was flipping and slammed him on to the pavement, the car landing upside down on its roof" Alexis nodded placing a piece of chicken in her mouth, listening to the story. She noticed the others staring with her peripheral vision, but ignored them. "He then threw him through the open window of the cop car and he landed perfectly in the back. Guys, could you stop staring? It's a little bit uncomfortable." Everyone but Yang looked surprise. He hadn't even glanced back at the table.

"How did you-"Weiss asked, but was interrupted by him answering.

"I can feel it when you guys stare, and it's uncomfortable."

"How can you 'feel' someone staring at you?" Alexis asked, but Blake was the one to answer.

"It's weird, but I can feel it too. It's hard to describe, but it's kind of like whenever you sense danger, before it happens. If that makes sense." They nodded in understanding, and he finally turned to the rest of the group.

"Yeah, something like that." He nodded.

"So where are we going to go after? Weiss is the most fashion obsessed person here, so you must know where we can go." Said Yang. Checking her scroll, she found a few places where they could go not too far from where they were at.

"There's a mall not too far from here, why don't we go there?" Yang nodded. Seeing as no one objected, they finished up eating and went to the mall.

The Mall of Vytal.

Stores Everywhere.

Everywhere they turned, a store here, one there, one everywhere. But what did you expect? It's a mall!

Team RWBY were walking along, Yang occasionally stopped to drool over something that was ludicrously expensive. They walked around for about twenty or so minutes, talking about random things as teenagers should until Weiss pointed to the store they were going to go to.

"Here it is." She told the group, they followed her inside and looked around. Alexis saw a nice shirt on the rack and went to check it out. Everyone took that as a queue to find something. Yang went with Blake and Weiss followed Ruby. Alex just looked around, everything in this section of the store was for woman. He looked for a sign, and found that the men's section was upstairs.

"Crap." Well, might as well walk around. As he walked around, he saw Blake checking out a shirt on the rack. Yang wasn't with her so he assumed that she went to try something out. He kept walking and passed the shoe section of the store. He noticed white hair barely peeking over the shelfs of shoes. He decided to investigate and turning the corner, he saw Weiss wearing white Chuck Taylors.

"These are surprisingly comfortable." She said to no one in particular. Her heels were neatly sitting next to the seat as she walked around in the shoes. She walked forward before turning around and walking back, and noticed him leaning against the wall smirking.

"See, Ruby told you." She just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I just happen to like them and they happen to be very comfortable." Ruby came running along, her own pair of the same shoes in hand. The difference was purely cosmetic as her shoes were red and black. She stopped as she noticed Weiss had actually tried them out. Weiss noticed Ruby staring at her and shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh My God" She said aloud. Weiss wasn't expecting that reaction and Alex just raised an eyebrow. "You…look…so…CUTE!" she jumped and gave Weiss a hug, trying to squeeze the life out of her.

"GET OFF YOU DOLT!" She tried to get her off, but Ruby had a vice grip om her. Deciding that this was a more…private thing for them, Alex made his leave with neither of them taking notice. He kept walking and ended up back at the entrance. He took a seat near the entrance and just looked around. There wasn't really anything he could do. Taking out his scroll, he checked on his company stocks. They jumped 4 points over the previous day and was the second straight month of jumps. Satisfied, he went to check on today's Griffball scores. GC Varcelona Won, City CG lost…again. And GC Munichen Won. He couldn't scroll down anymore as it began to ring. Alexis was calling, probably to ask where he went.

"Hello?"

"Where did you go?" she asked. He did call it.

"I'm at the main entrance, sitting on a chair."

"Well, get over here. I need your help choosing something." He raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, I'm sure Yang or Weiss would be more suited to do that." He told her.

"Yeah, but they're busy"

He sighed. "Alright, where are you?"

"Where the Jeans are at."

"Where?"

"Across the Shoes."

"Right, alright. I'm on my way then."

"Ok." He hung up, he thought he heard her say something before he hung up but paid no mind to it. He walked over to the Woman's Jeans and spotted a Blonde head of hair digging through. Alexis turned around, giving him a smile.

"Hey, where have you been?"

"Walking around, nothing much for me to do since the men's section is upstairs." He explained. She hummed and nodded in response, in her arms were a couple of pairs of jeans and a pair of yoga pants.

"Mind if you give me some feedback on these?" she asked. He simply shrugged. "Great, then you hold these-" she shoved the pants into his hands "and I am going to go try these, OK?" she didn't wait for a response as she went to the dressing room. He sighed before taking a seat again. Taking out his scroll again, that side of the building was apparently made from people's crushed hopes and dreams because there was no cell service aside from basically calling and texting on that side. Settling on combating the boredom, he began to think of random things. Nothing in particular, just anything that popped into his mind and he would analyze it.

He thought about what he's missed at Signal, what would have happened if he wasn't recalled back to Atlas. On the subject of Atlas, he thought about how he met Weiss and what would have happened if her father was an actual father instead of being…a cold heartless person… and didn't kick him out. He was still mad about that, the only friend Weiss had made and he just kicked him out.

It was also possible he was still a bit cross for leaving something at the Izhensver Mansion, but that's beside the point.

He then thought about Blake, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he was trying to remember if he has seen her before. He was cut off from that thought as Alexis came out in a pair of dark navy blue jeans. Infact the color was suspiciously close to the same color he has back at Beacon.

"So? What do you think?" He gave a thumbs up. She nodded before taking the next pair, which were a lighter stonewash blue. Again similarly to the ones he was wearing. He didn't care much for it.

Sometime later she came out to ask him, again another nod in approval. He didn't have the best fashion sense, but he was around Weiss. And she does care for appearances.

She took the last pair and walked inside. His mind began to wander to his partner. And reminisced about how he got here. The fact that Ozpin was actually watching him. He found it a little bit suspicious, the fact that he was conveniently in the country. Unless he knew something, it was rather odd. Then the thoughts turned to his partner.

He didn't know exactly what that was about yesterday, the little 'thing' in the bathroom. All he knew was that it felt…right. He didn't exactly know what those feelings meant. He didn't grow up with many friends, so he asking about this would be somewhat humiliating. He had a feeling Yang knew something though, the way he kept noticing her watching them through the corner of his eye. His thoughts came to a grounding halt as Alexis came out of the dressing room…in the Yoga pants…Wow.

His face grew red as she walked out, the pants fitting her form quite well in the…rear. He noticed the curves and it looked like she wasn't wearing anything at all. He couldn't stop himself from staring and was barely able to look away before Alexis noticed her. Atleast that's what he thought.

Alexis noticed how he was checking her out. Normally she would have slapped someone for doing that, perverted and only caring for her looks. But with him, she was actually flattered. That means that he actually somewhat feels the same way. Yang's idea might have been stupid, but it worked….it was still stupid though.

"What about these?" she asked him. She smirked slightly as he slowly turned to her, the red on his face turning darker scarlet.

"U-uh, yeah. They look good on you. Yeah." She nodded before walking back to the dressing room. He took a deep breath and looked towards the ceiling. He felt something pressed against his jeans, it was a bit uncomfortable but he didn't care. Alexis in those pants…Holy Shit!

The rest of the group found him sitting. Yang and Blake had some workout clothing, shoes, jeans, and some random articles of clothing.

Weiss and Ruby had some shoes, jeans and some other stuff as well.

"What are you doing?" Yang asked. He just shrugged.

"Lex is in there trying stuff out, asked me to rate it." He said.

"Oh? And?" Yang said, a smug smirk on her face.

"And?" he asked.

"Don't you know what it means?" he raised an eyebrow.

"What? I don't know." He said. Even Weiss had to fight face palming but before they could say anything, Alexis came out of the dressing room.

"You guys got everything?" She asked the group, receiving a nod in return. Paying for it, they checked the time and noticed that it was quite late.

"I think we should head back." Said Ruby, noticing that they had been in the mall for a long time. Everyone nodded in agreement and started to head for the Airship Terminal. Unfortunately, the clothes they bought was the only thing they couldn't ship to Beacon. Fortunately for them, they had a male who didn't mind carrying their bags….

"Why in the FUCK do I have to carry all this? I didn't even get anything!" he exclaimed to the group.

"Because that is something a gentleman would do" Said Weiss. He rolled his eyes. The bags weighed a lot more than they look. He sighed, he wasn't in the mood to fight. He had just been tortured with going shopping with woman…

They reached the terminal, and they noticed that Team JNPR was also boarding. They all waived and noticed that Jaune and Ren were in a similar position as Alex.

"Hey guys, Where were you guys at?" Ruby asked Pyrrah,

"Oh, we went to get somethings. As you can see, Nora also bought somethings as Ren is having a hard time with her stuff." They all nodded.

"At least your pack mule isn't complaining." Said Yang. Pyrrah chuckled.

"That's what you think, Jaune hasn't stopped complaining. There he is actually." She pointed to the stairway as he almost collapsed. They boarded the airship, talking about whatever happened in the city while they were there.

The airship landed and they all got off the ship, their pack mules having to carry all their stuff to their dorms. They eventually made it to their rooms, though Jaune collapsed three times on the way and Pyrrah had to help him out carrying some stuff. Once they arrived to their dorm, Team RWBY noticed a lot of boxes in front of their dorms… A lot.

"Did we really buy this many things?" Ruby asked.

"I guess we got a little bit carried away." Weiss told her. Yang walked over to a long, thin box with the picture of a TV on it.

"Alex, did you really-"

"Yes, I did" he said, voice having the tone of someone straining, "Now can you please open the door?" Ruby unlocked the door and he ran in as fast as he could, dropping the bags before collapsing on the bed. "Jesus, those bags are heavy." Everyone else walked inside and started carrying in the boxes left outside. Yang had gently carried the TV and placed it against the wall for the time being. Alexis walked over to her bed, only to find one Alex laying on it face down.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. He said something, but was mumbled by the fact he was face down. "I can't exactly hear that, could you say it again?"

"I said, this bed was the first bed nearest to me, so here I am." She just rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"I don't mind you being on my bed, but Yang is going to want you to help her setup the TV." She told him, causing him to groan.

"Can't you do it? I can't be bothered." She rolled her eyes again before turning to Yang, the blonde looked like she was about to attack the packaging.

"You're the best in the tech department. Besides, Yang looks like she's having trouble with the box." He lifted his head off the bed and turned to the Brawler, it looked like the clear piece of tape was clearly giving her a hard time…heh… He sighed before getting up and going over to help Yang. She looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.

"God damn it this stupid box!" She yelled as she tried to rip the top of it open. He grabbed a small knife and cut it open.

"I helped, the tape got weaker from my pulling." She tried to save a bit of pride.

"Sure, whatever. Let's just set this thing up. I think Patch is playing." She nodded before helping take everything out of the box.

While they set that up, the rest of Team RWBY put away everything they bought. Alexis placed her weapon parts on the large dresser, near Alex's Laptop. By this point, they had all put away everything at the TV had been placed perfectly above the door. It was mounted with two support beams on around the frame of the door, and mounted using a VESA mount and a bit of drilling.

"That wasn't too hard." Said Yang, dusting off her hands.

"For you, I did all the work! All you did was "Left, a little bit to the left. A little bit more, too much." That was it!"

"Someone needed to see whether or not it was centered perfectly, you know how Weiss is with her OCD." That elicited an indignit 'Hey!" From the heiress, but they ignored it.

"Whatever. I am going to lay back down." He then went and flopped back onto Alexis' bed again.

"Alright, so what now?" Yang asked the group.

"Well, we could just relax." Said Ruby, Everyone looked around and no one seemed to reject the idea. Even Weiss agreed. "We'll there we go! Alex! Hook up your computer to the TV! Let's play some video games!" he just groaned into the pillow. "Speak English man!" She told him, jumping on him to get him up. The rest of the group just watched, amused at how Ruby was jumping and trying to get him to get up.

"Alright, Oum sakes."

For the rest of the day, Team RWBY Relaxed, passing the time Playing FIGA 2K. Though Ruby and Yang tried to trick Weiss and Blake into playing. Neither really having any Video Game experience so they tricked their respective partners to play on the same team. It really didn't end well. Weiss had watched Grifball before, so she at least knew what team was good. Blake on the other hand, was confused by the controller.

By the end of the game, the two sisters had absolutely annihilated Weiss and Blake, who were silently fuming over the fact. They had lost 23-1, Ruby having accidentally passed the ball back too hard for the keeper to get safely.

When the controller changed hands, now to Alexis and Alex, they both made a small pact.

"We need to get better at this, that way we can beat them and get revenge for pulling this little stunt." Weiss told Blake. The Faunus was surprised by Weiss attitude to the Video Game.

"I didn't think that you of all people would get so riled up over something like a video game." She mused.

"Well, I didn't exactly get to do this kind of thing growing up, so this is a start." Weiss replied. Blake hummed in acknowledgement.

"Right, fair enough then. Though we should start paying attention now because Yang and Ruby don't seem as confident as they did ten minutes ago." Blake pointed to the Yellow and Red pair, who looked a little nervous. They had chosen their teams and kits, the other two had as well but they were doing some other stuff as well.

They had both silently agreed to do modifications to their squad, giving their players specific instructions and the like. They saved and started the match. Once the match began, they were working on the same wave link as they passed the ball with frightening efficiency and scored within a minute. The match went on and both Blake and Weiss took mental note to how they moved the controller, the actions of the thumb sticks and what the character did, the button combinations for stuff like a shot fake. By the end of the first half they were beating Yang and Ruby 3-0. The second half went Yang and Ruby's way as they came back to a score of 3-3, which forced them into extra time and penalties. Though that was part of Alexis' plan all along. One substitution and whatever resolve the sisters had was crushed as their team were steamrolled in extra time. The final score ended 9-3.

"You guys cheated!" Yelled out Yang, surprisingly.

They just shrugged. "We just destroyed you, no need to whine about it." She just grumbled to herself.

Alexis and Alex where undefeated, but atleast they taught Weiss and Blake the controls. They barely lost to Ruby and Yang the next time they played. Weiss was having a surprising amount of fun, she didn't believe something as childish as a game could do that. Same thing could be said for Blake, she was having a lot of fun, even if she was losing.

* * *

A/N: Alright, this could have turned out worse. I again apologize about the delay, but school is priority...Even if I am not doing well at the moment. Also, Life likes to make an appearance every so often. Now let's talk what will happen with this story. First is that I am not going to abandon it, so get that silly notion out of your head. It has more to do with the fact that Rooster Teeth caught me off guard. I was expecting Series 3 to come out in November or December. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It comes out on the 25 for us mere mortals and the 24 if you are a sponsor. I was planning on writing the chapters for qualifying and having some time skips in the interest of time in order to get the... _ships_...sailing. The time skips would happen instory every two months, but now I am reconsidering. If I do scrap the Timeskip, then I won't catch up to the events of Series 3 until after it ends, which wouldn't be as bad as I originally thought. I guess I can write some chapters about the ships being ships and what not, but here is also to rooster teeth making them cannon. The trailer for Series 3 tosses it up but I WILL SINK WITH IT DAMN IT!. Anyway, hopefully you enjoy it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 21

* * *

The week had come and gone, classes had ended for the majority of the students apart from the student leadership class which always ran late. Weiss had received the Ruby's dress the day before and had hidden it in her closet. She was going to use it as leverage to see if she could get Ruby to agree to go to the dance with her. Yang also received a package, which was rectangular and short. Weiss was going to guess it was a book, but then she remembered that it was Yang.

Currently, she was reading a book on her bed. Yang had gone somewhere while Alex and Ruby were n their leadership class, meaning that the room was mostly silent. Well, except for Alexis. She was busy on his laptop with a 3D design application. Blake was in the bathroom currently washing up. Her thoughts wandered to the same thing they always did as she just stared at the pages.

She felt…wanted…with her team. She felt a sense that they actually gave a toss about her. No one back home, bar one person, saw her as a person. All they saw was another person they could try to exploit. Here even Yang, who loved to tease her more than anything else, actually would show that she care for her.

During a recent trip to the forest for example, Weiss went on her own to get something (Ruby had left an ammo pack full). She retrieved it, but was ambushed by a couple of beowolves. One of them managed to scratch her leg in the process but overall was fine. Yang was the only one around the general area at the time and noticed Weiss' minor injury. While she dismissed it as nothing, Yang used a bit of her aura to heal her right up. It was a minor injury that would be gone in literally an hour or two, but she still did it. Weiss was expecting something from the blonde, some sort of favor, as she was raised to think like that only to be shocked as Yang just kept jogging, simply yelling "no problem!" before putting her headphones back on.

While she was pondering within her own thoughts, Alexis was on her partner's laptop. As mentioned previously, she was the only person who was allowed to use it without him being in the room. Alexis didn't exactly understand why that was, but she did find it funny how Yang or Ruby begged to use it when he isn't there, only to be told no.

On the laptop, she was using a 3D design application to create a design for her weapon based on what she bought on Friday. It was coming together all nicely since he taught her how to use it. She even added some color to the design, going with a normal blue color. She saved the design before closing the window. Seeing as there wasn't anything to do she went to check on her email and saw that she had one from Atticus.

* * *

"Wow Sis, I knew you could do it! :) I'm so proud of you, I know that mom and dad would be proud as well. Anyway, I am doing fine here in Atlas. I just finished a photoshoot for Atlesian Date magazine so there is that. And signups for the Atlesian Regional Championships opened up recently. Obviously I won't be competing since I'll just destroy just about everyone all by myself. :D. So I just wanted to ask if you wanted me to sign you up for singles, or if you want me to sign you up for the Duals Division. You know, with your partner? ;)" That part brought a slight blush to her cheeks, instantly regretting mentioning him. "From what you told me, he sounds like a very chill dude. And from what you wrote when describing him, you seem to be developing a crush on him or already have one. Just make sure that he knows who I am, and that I will kill him if he does anything to you :O." This caused her to roll her eyes with a smile, he could be over protective…Like Yang with Ruby. "And you're on a team with the Heiress of Schnee Dust? Wow, your team must be stacked!11! Y'all probably got some super advanced lasers that shoot rockets while having a gun-gun shooting rainbows with horns. Anyway, I hope you're having fun…And taking your studies seriously. Call me whenever you can, I can always clear my schedule to talk to my baby sis. I know rates from Vale to Atlas are ludicrous, but maybe doing a favor for Ice Queen or your 'partner' will make them agree to use their phones instead. Alright sis, gotta go. Take Care!

-Atticus, the awsomest man to walk the face of the planet."

P.S Remember, I'll kill anyone if they hurt you :(

* * *

She missed him, but she really wanted to be a huntress really, really badly. She replied to his email, a bit longer than she expected it but her response was detailed about a lot of things and she also added some new adventures, such as the Initiation. Firing off the email, she closed the tab and browser. She was at the desktop with the background being their emblems across the screen. It was filled with small icons, most of which were games. One particular thing did catch her eye though. It was a document with a blank name on it, no description at all. She turned to where Weiss was and noticed that she was still reading, and Blake was still in the bathroom. Seeing nothing for it, she opened the document.

She was expecting some kind of script for a product launch, or some technical jargon for some product that had launched, or just pictures of things that would make no sense. Instead, she found what looked to be a document that had sections split along with having a paragraph or two written in them. It looked like a journal or something. She then began to read an entry, the latest one. It was longer than they others...

What she read was...interesting...

* * *

Next Day. Stadium of Shining Light Beacon.

Team RWBY were late and had to get ready in haste.

'How could this dolt forget? She said that she would be the first to wake up! Even Blake forgot and slept in, which is unusual! This is unacceptable!' she screamed in her head as they barely were able to get passed the gates.

Yang had been trying to secure her jacket in place while Blake had to stop twice to fix her bow from falling off. Ruby was trying to tie her corset, Weiss had been trying to place the tiara on her head and secure her ponytail. Alexis was trying to put on her jacket and gloves as well as get her weapon in place. Alex got the worst of it as he hadn't even been able to get his shirt on before he was tossed his weapons and shoved out the door by a very, very pissed off Weiss. They huffed as they took a seat near Team JNPR, who all greeted them.

"Wow! You guys slept in!" Nora said bluntly.

"Well, maybe in some DOLT didn't forget to set her alarm, we wouldn't have had to get ready while making our way here.

"Don't Worry." Pyrrah assured them. "They are just setting up. Qualifying doesn't start for another Hour." The group looked at her wide-eyed then around the stadium.

It was just them, and one other team.

"So does this mean that it's not my fault?" Ruby turned to face Weiss, wearing a smug grin.

"No, it still is." Ruby deflated, so Weiss tried to find a bright side. "At least we aren't late though, so we could get something to eat." The Crimson haired girl perked up again.

"I think they are serving breakfast in the food court. Row 24 has the stairway that leads directly to it." Explained Ren, who was wiping off the syrup from the pancakes that Nora had gotten…somehow.

"Thanks Renny!" Said the Orange Haired girl as she kept gouging down the breakfast delights.

"Can we get something to eat Weiss? Please?" Weiss didn't even take a second to respond.

"Sure." Ruby was confused for a second before she beamed.

"Really? Hooray!" She got up from her seat began to walk to her destination…

"Ruby, it's this way." She stop and turned around, head lowered and mumbling a thanks as she passed the Heiress. Through the Corner of her eye, she could see both Yang and Blake wearing that smirk that said 'I know what you are up to.'

Ignoring them she passed Ruby, who had slowed for her to catch up, before finding the stairway that lead to nourishment. Weiss began the walk up, Ruby behind her. As she was climbing, she missed a step and tried to balance herself before she felt herself falling back. She was prepared for her head and back to take the pain, but was instead surprised when she felt strong arms holding her arm. Her head also seemed to be resting on something. It was soft, like a pillow. Her eyes widened as she looked up to see Ruby looking down at her, a blush on her cheeks.

"Weiss? Mind getting up? Your kinda on my boobs." She said, emabrrased. Weiss sprang up and was as stiff as a board.

"Ahem, Thank you for not letting me fall." She said, trying to hide her own redden cheeks. Despite having the heavy shade of pink, Ruby gave her a smile.

"No Problem! What kind of 'Best Teammate' would I be if I let my teammate fall?" she asked, as if the question was obvious. 'Plus it felt good holding you like that, even if you were on my boobs.' She added mentally.

Weiss didn't say anything, opting to simply nod instead before continuing to their destination. Indeed as Ren had told them, there was a small area where they were serving breakfast. There weren't too many people so they opted to eat at one of the small tables instead of taking their food back and risking falling again and dropping it.

'She is just perfect. Perfect Skin, perfect hair, perfect everything!' Ruby gushed internally 'I just wish she would be less mean…'

Ruby had been too busy to notice that the line had moved, it wasn't until the server yelled "NEXT!" that she quickly went to grab her food. Weiss raised an eyebrow, but said nothing on the matter.

"Why don't we take a seat here?" She pointed to a small table, a chair on each side and a window that looked out to the Pitch.

"Okay!" Taking a seat, they both began to eat. Neither of them spoke much, Ruby trying to make small talk but it seemed Weiss wasn't in the mood. Weiss was looking over to her left, through the window that showed the field. Glynda was doing some last minute checks on the INVISAFER-BARRIER, and several others were trying to make sure that everything else was set. The platform, the Out of Bounds sensors and…The TV Cameras?

Ruby seemed to have noticed Weiss raise an eyebrow, so she turned to see what that was about and noticed several cameras having being placed around.

"Wait, are they going to televise this?" She asked Weiss.

"I…don't know." She was as lost as Ruby was, normally Qualifying to the tournament isn't televised due to lack of interest.

"Woah."

Weiss turned to Ruby, who seemed to have a star struck face.

'She probably is excited about being on TV' she mused. Weiss continued to stare at Ruby, how the girl's smile would cause her to turn one as well. She then noticed some girl, a dog or wolf Faunus, talking to a human boy around her age. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she did read her lips.

'Um, I was wondering if anyone had asked you to the dance.' She asked, rubbing her arm and looking down. The boy was facing her with her back turned to Weiss, but that was enough of a reminder to ask Ruby something.

"Ruby, do you mind if I ask you something?" Weiss said, finishing of her food.

"Anytwhing fr ju Veiss!"

"Dolt, don't you know it's rude to talk with your mouth full?" It wasn't in a scolding tone, but she could see Ruby deflate a little regardless.

"Sorry, but like I said, Ask away!"

"It's about the dance. I was wondering if you had found a date." She hoped it didn't sound weird.

Luckily, Ruby didn't seem to mind. "No." she said, looking down. "I actually decided not to go last minute." Weiss raised an eyebrow in 'Surprise'. Weiss had a small inkling that she might not want to go and ditch last minute, she didn't have a dress after all.

"What about you?" Ruby looked up, making eye contact. "Have you found a date?"

Ice Blue eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before relaxing "No, I haven't."

Weiss could have sworn she saw relieve in those Silver eyes, but she wasn't sure.

"Right." Ruby responded, then asked another question as she took another bite of her food. "Re vu Rted n Omne?"

"Ruby, I don't speak garble." Weiss answered in a joking manner, at least she thought it was jokingly.

"I asked if you were interested in someone." Ruby asked again, taking a drink of her Orange Juice.

She took a second to contemplate her answer. "I am." She almost took it back when she saw Ruby's eyes.

"Understandable, whoever they are must be very lucky to have your interest." Ruby said, eyes conveying her sadness. She then remembered something Alex had told him last week.

Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to not be upset at what she had just learned.

'Why am I surprised? Of course Weiss would have someone in mind. She's Weiss! She can have anyone she wants!' An announcement from Goodwitch pulled her from her thoughts.

'Combatants of Group A onto the Pitch Please, Group A onto the Pitch."

"Well, I guess I have to go." Weiss got up, and Ruby followed.

"Good Luck Weiss! I believe in you!" She said.

Ruby didn't see it, but Weiss had a small smile.

* * *

Weiss and Alexis on the field, along with two of the others in their group. They were looking at Glynda as she tapped on the mic.

"Please ignore the Television Cameras, they are for the Vytal Tournament." She cleared her throat before continuing.

"Due to the fact that the Vytal Tournament is being hosted here at Beacon, everyone has automatically qualified due to being 'Host'. However, aside from the fact that this may or may not count against your final grade, the winner of this Qualifying Competition will be the captain of Team BCON. Team BCON is the quote unquote 'Best of the Best' this fine academy has to offer. The captain will have the honor of choosing his or her partner on the team, along with being team leader." Excited murmurs spread throughout the Multisport Complex

"Now for the Rules, Everyone has already been drawn into a group, this phase is called the Group Stage. The group consists of four people. Everyone in that group will face each other once, the winner and runner up of the group advancing to the knockout phase.

In the Knockout Stage, The Winners of their respective groups will be drawn to face the runner ups of other groups. Once two combatants are drawn to fight each other in the Knockout Stage, they will face each other twice. The First Leg, then the Return Leg. The winners of the Knockout Stage then go on to the next stage and so on until we have our Finalists.

Winners are determined by Aura level after 20 minutes in the group stage." This caused confusion amongst the students.

"Winners are given three points. A draw is 1 point and a loss in none during the Group Stage."

"Time will factor in if you win. For example, if Combatant A lowers Combatant B's Aura level to Orange, and he is in the Green, then the amount of time it took him to get him to orange will be counted. Each match that you win will add to your overall time. So if it took you 12 minutes to get someone to an aura level below yours, followed by 17 minutes the next match, your total time will be 29. This is used in the event that we need to break a tie. .

During the Knockout Stage and the final, Aura will not be factored in but instead it will be the amount of times you are able to eliminate your Opponent. This new elimination style tournament is due to a change to The Laws of the Protectors by The Hunters Association ."

"As a reminder of the schedule, Qualifying matches are every other week for the group stage. The Knockout Stages and beyond will be scheduled accordingly after the draw."

"Now that we have that out of the way, let us get to the action. Our first match…."

* * *

The first match was between Weiss and a second year named Evelyn Savanna. The match was mostly one-sided however. Weiss made little effort to hide the smugness as she sent her opponent out of the Area of Combat. As soon as Evelyn hit the floor, Glynda called the match.

"The winner of this bout, Weiss Schnee." The screen above then showed in real time that Weiss was given three points and posting a time of 7:45 to take down her opponent.

"Next Up, Alexis Blau will face Cardin Winchester."

Alexis was preparing her weapon in the locker room, making last minute checks before going to the Combat Area.

Looking to her left, she saw Alex doing some check to his weapon as well.

"You know you aren't scheduled to fight until later right?" She asked him, trying to calm herself down by making small talk.

"Hm? Yeah, it doesn't hurt to check. Never know when something could go wrong." He noticed her uneasiness as she looked around with a frown. "A penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm worried that I could botch this." He just gave her a deadpanned stare with a raised eyebrow.

"Lex, you're fighting Cardin. You literally could have had a tree stump in your group and it would do better."

"But what if I miss a block? Or Trip? Or-" He walked over to her grabbing her shoulders in order to cut off her rambling.

"You'll do fine. Just keep your head in the game and focus on your end goal. Don't let him get inside your head by any snide remarks, make a show of him. If he starts to grate your nerves with the snide comments, think of something that makes you happy. A song, item, memory, etc."

"You seem to know a lot about this." She said simply, receiving a shrug.

"Presentation in front of the board isn't exactly easy." She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Alright." She said, smiling at him. Glynda's Voice then caught their attention.

"Would the Combatants report to the Combat Area."

* * *

Both Alexis and Cardin were on the raised platform that was the Area of Combat.

"Hello there beautiful, haven't seen you around here. Why not after I beat you, we go and have lunch?" He told her, wiggling an eyebrow. "Maybe even some Netflix and Chill?"

She didn't respond, flicking her wrist and activating her weapon.

"Begin."

* * *

"Well, at least we know who is making it out of Group A." Yang told Blake, who nodded in agreement.

The match between Alexis and Cardin could be described one of two ways. Either it was spectacularly short, or criminally One-Sided.

With no real attempt to fight, Alexis was able to out-everything Cardin. She didn't even call on her Semblance, Cardin doing all the tiring himself out…himself.

All Alexis did was shoulder check him out of the Arena of Combat, and she had won the match. The display showed that Alexis had Overtaken Weiss as leader of Group A. Posting a Match Time of Five minutes even.

Glynda explained that Group C would be the last to Qualify during this session due to Dove being in detention, Professor Port not liking the very crude rendition that was etched on the desk…

Matches went on, Yang won her match against Amber Celica. Despite her opponent almost sharing names with her weapons, she wasn't as explosive as her weapon. Yang was able to eliminate her in 10 minutes. In the same group, Jaune had somehow managed to draw against David McTavish.

Group J had Blake, who dominated Sky Lark and posted three points along with a time of nine minutes.

Group B, Pyrrah and Coco went at it for the full 20 minutes. Neither of them budging. It ended in a draw, but despite the result was one of the most action packed matches of the day as it wasn't a mostly one sided affair.

It was later on in the Afternoon when Group C was finally allowed to go. Sky Lark had to Face Tanner Foust. Which meant that Ruby had to Face Alex. And Yang was hyping it up…

"These two powerhouses, not as powerful as me but still, going toe to toe in the Octagon-"

"It's a hexagon shaped platform-"Weiss corrected her.

"It's going to be a battle of Quick Wits, a battle of agility and a battle of stamina. Who can last the whole 5 rounds?"

"It's only a 20 minute period." Blake corrected her.

"The Judges will be watching closely for any mistakes!"

"There aren't any judges." Alexis said.

"Why do you guys need to ruin my fun?" She whined. Flopping back into her seat.

"Because, why does this fight need to get hyped up?"

"Good Question Ice Queen-"

"Hey!"

"These two have fought several times before. Back at Signal, it was almost a weekly occurrence that they would be in a spar against one another." Alexis and Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I think the current record is 18 Matches in total, not including this one, 6-6-6 for both of them."

"Six wins, draws and losses?" Yang nodded.

"Yup!"

"Are you serious?"

"Yup, and to add that extra bit of Incentive for Alex, he is undefeated thus far in Competitive Matches."

"Really?" Alexis asked, Weiss suddenly seemed interested at that tidbit of information.

The brawler nodded "Yup! He hasn't lost a competitive match since we started attending Signal. He was only disqualified, which doesn't count as a lost in the Laws of the Protectors.

They turned their attention back onto the field. Ruby was already on the field, Crescent Rose already in its sniper position.

The lights went out for a second, causing mass panic among those watching…That was until music began to play and the lights began to flicker, as if at a concert.

Queue: Morphadron - R U Ready.

As the music began to pick up tempo, the lights accommodated the speed and flashed faster, interchanging between Blue and White. The large Display high above the stadium, which was blank, began to display the emblem of the contestant.

Many of the students watching were in awe, they didn't know they could do this! It looked cool…at least Yang thought so.

"Wow! This is awesome!" she yelled over the loud music.

"You want pasta?" Weiss yelled back, mishearing her.

"I think she said she saw a possum!" Alexis yelled as well.

Blake meanwhile was trying to cover her sensitive ears from the loud music.

Around the 1:46 mark, the music stopped before it dropped a beat allowing the platform, which was down apparently, to be raised to reveal Ruby's opponent.

"Does he need to do that?" Blake asked, irritated by the ringing in her ears as the music died down.

"He's does stuff like that all the time." Yang explained as she grabbed her popcorn "Though it irritated our instructed every time. He hated having to make him spar because he would always do that.

"Doesn't that give him an advantage? Trying to use scare tactics?" Weiss inquired.

"Nah, nothing says he isn't allowed to."

"But that does mean he is allowed to."

"Oh come on Weiss, lighten up. Maybe if you ask nicely, he can make you an introduction." The blonde continued to munch on her popcorn as Alex prepared his weapon, trying to look away from the glare Glynda was giving him.

After making sure that both combatants were ready, she set the timer, and blew the whistle.

* * *

"Wow."

"He is on a mission."

The match had started out somewhat boring, with both of them being cautious and just firing at one another.

Seeing as that wasn't going to work, Ruby had begun to make her advance around the 7 minute mark. There was a lot more action, Ruby swinging Crescent Rose with ease. He was having issues blocking some of her strikes, a scare happening around the 7 and a half minute mark as it looked like she had cut his throat with the Blade. Even Professor Goodwitch had to stop the match, making sure he wasn't actually injured. Since the clock was still ticking, the time wasted would be added to the end.

The match began to really heat up around the 10 minute mark. Alex was getting impatient and had begun to make his own advancement towards Ruby. He didn't have his weapon out, instead opting for a close quarters approach.

He was able to land various hits on Ruby as she was unable to defend herself at that close of a range. Landing a lucky kick, Ruby was able to make space and launch a counter-attack.

It was an even match, both of them attacking and defending. Neither giving the other the opportunity to get comfortable.

It was currently the 19th minute, their Auras where in the orange nearing the red. Alex had finally decided to use his weapon, firing several shots at the Scythe Wielder. With practiced movement she was able to deflect them, but she was barely able to side step the incoming shoulder check that had her name on it.

Ruby decided now was the best time to call on her semblance. Firing her weapon behind her for extra boost, she tapped into her semblance and left a trail of rose petals in her wake. He was barely, just barely, dodge a swing of her scythe with his name on it.

He managed to stumble out of the way before boosting a bit farther. Seeing as she did it, he also called on his semblance. His hands glowed a shade of baby blue before turning into a Midnight Blue. He ran at Ruby head on, the Red head ready to block and the others confused as to why he was running head on. Ruby was about to swing to block a punch that he was going to throw.

It was a fake punch, he left a blue trail made to look like he was going to deliver a blow. He managed to make her swing her weapon and a certain height in order to allow him to slide under Crescent Rose Mid-Swing and towards Ruby. Before grabbing her with his leg and launching her with and overhead kick, sending her across the platform. Ruby was able to land on her feet, courtesy of Crescent Rose, before going on one final Counter attack.

Glynda was checking the timer. It was the 20th minute and she had to give an extra minute of time due to stopping it to check on them.

Ruby began to fire at him, forcing him to go on the defensive as she closed the gap. She swung her scythe and was able to catch him as he blocked another shot. She then shot him, causing him to fly up.

As he was in the air, he called on the Jump jets for support. He was able to stay afloat for a few seconds. As he made it back, he created an arc before kicking it towards Ruby in a bicycle style kick and throwing her back and taking some damage. Seeing how far Ruby was from her opponent, Glynda ended the match.

"The outcome of the match is a draw."

Everyone watching gave a round of applause at the display. It was the best fight of the day, beating out the match between Coco and Pyrrah.

Alex went over to congratulate Ruby.

"Good Game."

"Yup!" She chirped. "6-7-6 I think."

"And the streak continues!" they faintly heard Yang yell.

"Don't worry, all that time in an office chair made you rusty." She joked, causing him to glare at her.

'I think Ms Goodwitch is calling for you." She told him as she noticed her signaling for him, causing him to turn around. She was not exactly what you would describe as 'happy'.

"Ah, I think I know why. She might not be happy with how I kinda…made my presence known."

"It was loud, I'll give you that."

"Yeah. Might as well see what she wants." He sighed, before walking over to the Professor.

* * *

"Ruby! I'm so proud of you!" Yang held her in a very tight bear hug.

"Yang you brute! She's tired! You could've injured her!" Weiss scolded her, before checking Ruby for injuries.

"I'm fine, just a little tired from that fight. He actually got better since the last time we fought." She told Yang, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"I noticed during our spar a few weeks ago. He gained some muscle."

"Why is he with Professor Goodwitch?" Alexis inquired, Glynda did not look to happy as she was talking to him.

"It might be due to how loud the music was." Blake scowled as she was rubbing her ears .

The sisters talked about the other matches for a few more minutes before being joined by the brunette, holding a very badly damaged looking lever action shotgun.

"What happened to your weapon?" Asked Alexis, several pieces falling onto the ground.

"Ruby happened. Apparently she hit my weapon several times hard enough to do this."

"Sorry! I'll fix it don't worry!"

"its fine, gives me an excuse to finally build the replacement."

"Well, there you go then!"

"I just wished you would have waited until after our mission on Monday…"

They kept talking as they filed out of the Stadium, Weiss making sure to check on Ruby. She couldn't have her being injured, lest she risk her life during their mission on Monday, whatever it was. At least that was what she told herself.

"So, are you all excited for the dance?" Yang asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped the group.

"Of Course!" Weiss proclaimed "I did a lot of the design, so natural I should be allowed to bask in what I have created. "

"Of course. Have you found a date?"

"As I stated previously, yes I have."

Ruby visibly winced, but no-one noticed. She was hurting on the inside at the fact that Weiss had found someone. But she couldn't show it.

"Congratulations Weiss. I hope you have fun."

"Are you ok?" Weiss was concerned, her voice had taken a different tone when she said that.

"Yeah. Just tired." She tried to play it off with a Yawn. It either worked, or Weiss simply didn't want to pry.

"Yeah, today was a tiring day indeed. We should hit the hay."

As they all were getting ready for bed, Alexis had asked Ruby about the dance and whether she was going or not. Ruby may have too loudly said she wasn't. Weiss heard her, and she was pretty sure that Blake had as well. The brunette was too engrossed in her book to look up, and Alex was on his laptop. The fact that she wasn't going was all a part of her plan.

They went to bed after a few more minutes of talking. Getting ready to tackle the day ahead. For Weiss though, she needed all the rest she could get. Her plan would be set in motion, after all.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 22

* * *

"So Ruby, did you find someone to go to the dance with?" Yang asked as she was prepping herself.

Ruby shook her head pressing her two finger together as she looked up at Yang "Nah." Yang immediately stopped what she was doing to look over to Ruby.

"'Nah?' How could you be calm? This is the Beacon Dance we are talking about, it's like our prom!" Ruby just shrugged. "Did you ask someone? Did they reject you?" her eyes turned red, semblance beginning to flare up "Did they hurt you?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

"No! It's just…I'm sure she wouldn't want to go with me…" Yang raised an eyebrow for a second, before a know-it-all smirked crossed her face.

"Is it the Ice Queen?" the Blonde asked bluntly, causing the Scythe Wielder to blush furiously.

"H-how did you-"

"It's obvious to almost everyone, I think even Weiss knows at this point. The way you stare at her, the way you act around her, the way you stare at her-"

"You already said that"

"The Way you stare at her intently…as in oogling her." She covered her face in her with her hands.

"Alright Yang, I get it. It's just, what if she doesn't feel the same way? I can't just go and ask her, I finally befriend her and doing that will just take all my hardwork away." She said, letting herself flop on Weiss bed.

Ruby didn't see her, but Yang rolled her eyes. If only she knew. It was between them to work it out, meddling with those affairs usually led to disaster. Plus she had her own stuff to deal with.

"You never know Ruby maybe she feels the same way." Yang mused.

"Ha, next you'll tell me there is a chance I could tame a Beowolf." She groaned, still laying on the bed.

"Well would you rather try and see what happens? Or not do anything and keep asking yourself 'What if I had just'. Come on Ruby, you said you'd try to break out of your shell. The worst she can say is no.'" Ruby then found another excuse.

"Even If I did, I still wouldn't be able to go. I couldn't buy the dress."

"Did you not buy it the day we went?" Yang asked, confused.

"No, I didn't have enough money." Yang just sighed at her sister. The lengths she'd go to just to not go from an even she was excited for.

"Fine, have it your way. Have Fun being in the dorm by yourself." Yang went back to doing her makeup, leaving Ruby to think to herself.

'Weiss, falling for someone like me. Ha, next you'll tell me that I can make a gun out of a piece of frywall…"

* * *

Weiss had been walking around the school as the day wore on. Today was the day. And she was going to ask Ruby out to the dance.

And she was nervous

Weiss wasn't one to normally be nervous... Schnees were calm, collected, and, most importantly, in control. To show uncertainty at anything was to show weakness, and that was unacceptable.

Though now she was in Vale, thousands of miles away from Atlas and her family. Weiss figured being nervous this time couldn't hurt. After all, there was no way her father would find out, right?

Yes, not only was Weiss Schnee, heiress of one of most powerful, influential family business on Remnant, anxious for only maybe the third time in her life, she was so because of one silly thing:

Asking someone to a dance.

Not just because she was asking someone to the dance, but who that person was. Her Partner, the scythe-wielding, hyperactive, cookie munching and strawberry stuffing dolt that was Ruby Rose.

Her time here at Beacon could be described as Oddly Pleasant. Her Team is made up of people who for the most part know how to handle themselves against the beasts that were grimm, they were for the most part intellectual and they each had a trait that made them standout from each other. Though she felt a connection more to Ruby than to anyone else on her team.

Despite how she acted, Weiss did find herself enjoying Ruby's company. The term she used as an insult, dolt, now was more of a casual word between the both of them. Similar to a term of endearment. At least, that is what she hoped Ruby took it as.

That was why she had been out all day, away from the others. All day she had been thinking about her team, specifically Ruby and how she has insulted her for even the most minuscule things. And that paved the way for even more negative thoughts.

Due to how she was raised, and how she was treated by her father while growing up, Weiss was unable to make almost any friends. Except for one person, she has failed to do anything besides insult each and every person she met. Even here now, she still had insults for everyone on her team.

But she has been trying. She has been trying so, so hard to change her attitude. It seems to be working as she doesn't insult people as often anymore. But the fear is still there. She thinks that Ruby will still see her as the Ice Queen.

Obviously she also had the thought that Ruby didn't swing that way, but that was a minor issue if what she overhead from Yang was anything to go by.

She checked her scroll and noticed that it was almost time for the dance. She turned around, heading back for the dorm.

'Well, it's now or never.' She said to herself.

* * *

Yang finished up dolling herself up, noticing Ruby watching something on her scroll, still on Weiss bed.

"Alright Rubes, If you need me you know where to find me!" She said, faking the enthusiasm.

"K Yang." Ruby said sounding dejected. Yang was about to open the door to leave when the door open from the other side, revealing the "Ice Queen" Weiss Schnee.

"I thought you had gone to Vale to have your people doll you up." The blonde quipped.

"No, you blonde brute. I can get ready in a few minutes. Which is precisely what I plan on doing…Right Now." She said. Yang simply rolled her eyes. She had a feeling of why she wasn't actually ready, but she wasn't about to shoot down her sister missing this out. She hummed before walking away, leaving the two of them. Weiss shut the door and noticed Ruby on her scroll, on HER BED.

She cleared her throat, causing the Red Head to look up. Silver eyes widen as she quickly tapped into her semblance to dart to Alexis' bed.

"O-oh, hey Weiss!" She laughed nervously.

"Ruby, why aren't you getting ready for the dance? You were the one trying to convince Blake and Alex to go, but you're not going?" Weiss asked, seeming not mad at her being on her bed.

"W-well..." She started, not being able to maintain eye contact with the Ivory Haired Heiress for more than a second. Weiss eyes narrowed.

"Did someone reject you?" she asked bluntly, catching Ruby completely off.

"N-no! It's just…I was going to ask someone, but I chickened out. I have my reasons!"

"Oh? And who were you planning on asking?" Weiss asked, trying to hide the feeling of dejection

'She likes someone else. I was too late.' Ruby noticed Weiss expression change for the briefest of seconds.

'I was going to ask you out! But I know I don't have a chance with you.' Ruby thought, but she instead said "Some Person, its cool though. I'll just stay here while you guys do your thing. I'm sure that the person would have rejected me anyway." Ruby waived it off, but Weiss wasn't having it.

"No."

"No?"

"No, Ruby if that person was stupid enough to reject you of all people, they should be executed by Scaphism!" She said with Authority

'Not the best way to start, but it will suffice I suppose.'

"Weiss, I don't even know what that is!" Ruby told her.

"That's not the point, the point is Ruby that you deserve to go with someone to the dance."

'Is this a dream? Is this going where I think it is?'

Weiss took another breath, calming herself.

"And that person, is me. So Ruby, I wanted to know, would accompany me to the dance?"

Stunned speechless, Ruby truly had no way to respond. Ruby's mouth was open, her eyes widened wide as the younger girl's face began to accumulate a redder color.

"How…? Why do…?" Ruby took a quick breath to try and form a coherent sentence…

"Me?"

Finally, Ruby looked up at her, and saw nothing but affection from the more often than not 'Ice Queens' Blue eyes

"Yes," the heiress replied. "You deserve to go to the dance, and I'd…l-love to be able to accompany you. You convinced everyone who didn't want to go, to go. Plus, no one asked me to the dance either. So I figured that we should go together." Weiss explained, a deep blush appearing.

Ruby still had not answered, her mind was currently trying to breakdown what exactly had happened right now.

Weiss really wanted to go to the dance with her? Of everyone she could have gone with, she chose her?

That brought up an entire new line of thinking Weiss wasn't sure she wanted to delve into at this moment or any time soon. A shiver ran down Ruby's spine at the sudden thought: Does she actually…l-like me?

Meanwhile, Weiss was having an internal mental breakdown.

'I knew this was a bad idea. What was I thinking? Why would she go out with someone like me? Someone with a cold heart. I insult her on a daily basis and have the audacity to ask her to go with me?'

Ruby noticed Weiss' internal struggle and cleared her throat, causing blue eyes to quickly dart to her direction.

"Yes. I'd love to accompany you to the dance. But if you don't mind, can I go with you as your…date?" Ruby added meekly.

"That was what I meant"

"Wait, what?"

"Ruby, I….When I'm with you, I feel happier than I have been in years. And I have noticed you and how you act around me." She thanked a certain brunette boy and a Blonde Brawler for that information. "And I know you are thinking the same thing. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I have for the most part tried to change for the better. So…I was wondering if maybe, after the dance, at some time in the future, you wanted to go out sometime."

Weiss was beyond nervous right now. Her original plan was just to ask her to the dance but she saw this opportunity arise so she jumped for it.

Ruby, inside atleast, was giddy. She could almost squeal in happiness.

"Yes! Of Course I would!" She said excitedly.

'She…said Yes? She…said Yes!'

Weiss didn't see Ruby approach her, but most certainly felt Ruby hugging her. Weiss instinctively wrapped her arms around her as well, relishing the warmth that she surprisingly needed.

They eventually broke apart, and they both stood there…awkwardly.

"Sooooo…." Ruby drawled.

"We should get ready for the dance." Weiss said.

"I can't" when Weiss raised an eyebrow, Ruby continued "I didn't buy my dress."

Weiss simply walked over to her closed and pulled something from the back. She walked over and handed it to Ruby, who stared at it.

"Wait, how did-"

"I have my ways, now hurry! The dance is going to start soon!" She gasped. Ruby looked at her, confused before Weiss explained.

"I still need to finish setting up. Listen, I'll meet you at the auditorium alright?" Ruby nodded.

Weiss grabbed another thing from her closet, her own dress, before quickly running out.

Ruby looked around the room, thinking that this was a dream and she was about to wake up. She pinched herself to make sure it wasn't, before asking herself a question aloud.

"Did, that just happen?"

* * *

The Auditorium.

Yang was standing at the podium, greeting everyone and checking them in. She was wearing a simple and elegant white dress with black pumps. She was organizing some paper work when she looked up, eyes lighting up and excited as she saw who was walking in.

"Ooohh, you look beautiful! You did come!"

Ruby Groans as she looks distressed as she tries to walk in her heels. She was wearing a sleeveless dress with a thick black sash around the waist and black edging at the bottom. The dress reaches about halfway down her upper leg. At the chest, the dress splits vertically down the middle and each half covers each of Ruby's breasts. Across this vertical split is black criss-crossing ribbon. The fabric covering her upper chest, her shoulders, and her upper back appears to be black mesh. The collar of the dress is black, and from midway up each sleeve, a thin black line of fabric extends up to the front middle of the collar. Finishing off with black semi-transperent stockings and black heels.

" Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" She asked Yang, causing her to laugh at her sister's amusment.

"What made you decide to go? And who got you the dress."

"U-uh, well…Weiss kind of asked me out. And she let me use the dress." Yang pretended to nod understanding and surprise.

"I see."

"And she may have asked me to go out with her." The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"As in on a date?" Ruby nodded, red staining her cheeks. Yang grabbed her and caught her in a tight bear hug.

"Yang…air …need…please."

"I'm so proud of my babysis! Melting the Ice Queen's heart and all!"

"Yang!" she whined.

"Ok fine, I'll stop. But if she does anything to hurt you…" She let the sentence trail off as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yang, please don't try to scare her."

"Fine. Weiss is busy finishing up the decorations, so just hang around."

"Actually, I am going to go outside for a few minutes." Yang nodded.

"I'll text you when Weiss finishes up." The redhead nodded before heading outside. Once outside, she saw a figure moving above on the rooftops. Squinting, she confirmed she wasn't seeing some sort of illusion, so she went to follow the figure.

The figure entered through the CCT main entrance. Once Ruby arrived to the entrance, she noticed that one of the guards had been knocked out and was in some bushes. Taking out her scroll, she called for her Rocket Propelled Locker. The locker opened and she took Crescent Rose before walking inside. She saw a few more bodies on the ground. They weren't dead, but they were out. The elevator doors opened to reveal a few more unconscious soldiers. She quickly entered and noticed that one of the buttons had a red smudge on it, probably were the perpetrator had gone. She pressed it, and the doors closed.

"No... We're done here." The Figure said, getting up and pocketing the scroll.

As she starts to walk away, she notices the elevator doors opening. Ruby steps out of the elevator slowly, brandishing her weapon.

"Hello?" She stumbles and almost falls due to her high-heels. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

The figure rises from her hiding place and steps out toward Ruby.

"Um, Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that-!"

Before she could finish, the figure produces a container of ice Dust and sends shards of ice flying at Ruby. She is barely able to block them, and begins to fire at the woman in black. Cinder blocks the shots without a problem. She then spins and her weapon begins to materialize. Ruby leaps forward and tries to get her, but instead hits the floor. Cinder then flips back and she combines her weapons into a crossbow and fires three explosive bolts towards her, causing Ruby to stumble back.

As Ruby was about to go on the Counter attack, the elevator doors open to reveal Ironwood. Ruby is visibly glad to see him until she notices that Cinder has disappeared.

"What is going on here?" Ironwood asks Ruby, clearly unpleased with the situation.

* * *

Yang was finished letting in another couple, sighing.

'I thought she was going to come.' Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of doors opening.

There stood Blake, in dark purple dress and bright blue bow worn by Blake, violet eyeshadow making her eyes pop. Yang stared at her, wide eyed. Blake Rolled her eyes before walking over to the Blonde.

"I did say I would go, plus you promised me a dance." The raven haired girl told Yang, who was trying to form words but was just flapping her mouth uselessly. Before she was taken away by Blake, the door opened, this time Alexis was walking in.

"Damn, look at you. If he doesn't say anything to you then I am going to have to pound him."

"It's OK. Have you seen him by the way?"

"He checked in earlier, a few wanted to dance with him but I think he went to the balcony." The blonde nodded, making her way to the balcony as well.

Yang?" She turned to face Weiss, who looked worried. "Have you seen Ruby?"

The blonde shook her head "She told me that she was going to get some air, but that was half an hour ago." Weiss looked down, dejectedly.

"Oh. Well, I guess I should make sure that this all goes smoothly." She proceeded to walk away, making sure to check on the drinks and food. Blake was about to pull Yang to dance when she quickly pulled out her scroll.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked her.

She fired of the text before closing her scroll and facing her date. "Just letting Ruby know her date is ready."

* * *

"Yeah, understood. That and the other two I outlined in the memo aren't part of our agreement with Atlas Military AG. Yes, exactly. OK then, thanks for the care package. Understood. Take care, bye." He ended the call and shoved the scroll into his pocket, looking into the distance. He should probably go back to the party. He was wondering if Alexis had found a date-

"Alex?"

He turned around and both his eyebrows raised as soon as he locked eyes the person in question.

Alexis was wearing a blue strapless Gown with matching blue heels, her hair down and was only wearing eyeliner to make her eyes pop. She felt heat rush to her cheeks as she saw her partner stare at her.

Alex was wearing a suit with matching suit pants. They had no secondary color but it did have his emblem, the three letter abbreviation for his company, in the lower right hand side underneath the breast and around the rib cage area. He was also wearing a small pin that was attached to the suit, but it was too small to decipher what it said.

"You look…amazing." He said, causing her pink tinted cheeks to turn a darker red. Still, she walked towards him.

"What are you doing up here? The dance is down there."

"I just had to make a small call. Nothing important." She hummed, grabbing him by the arm and began to make their way back to the party.

"You don't mind if we dance, do you?" He shook his head, allowing himself to be led by her. As they made their way towards the dance floor, they noticed Weiss trying desperately to coax life out of a wilting white rose. She looks visibly upset as it wilts again.

"Did Weiss come alone? No one asked her?" Alexis whispered.

"I…don't know, but look." He whispered back, pointing to one Ruby Rose who was speed walking, or at least trying to, towards Weiss.

* * *

'I knew she wouldn't want to come with me, what was I thinking?' Weiss thought to herself, desperately trying to get the White Rose to stand strong, but she sighed sadly as it drooped again.

"I guess I really am the loneliest of all…" She noticed how Blake and Yang were dancing, Jaune was dancing with Pyrrah, and Ren was with Nora. Even Alex was with Alexis! Her thoughts were interrupted by a certain cookie eating scythe wielder who lost her balance.

"Oof- Watch were you-" she was cut off as she saw who it was. "R-ruby?!" She was speechless as she took in the sight of Ruby in the Dress. She looked…amazing.

"Uh, sorry! I didn't mean to keep you waiting! Something happened and I went to go investigate and-" Weiss pressed a finger to her lips to silence her rambling.

"It's fine, as long as you're here it's fine." Ruby nodded. There was a few seconds of awkward silence until Weiss broke it.

"So, shall we dance?" Weiss extended her hand, and Ruby took it. Leading to the Dance Floor, suddenly Ruby looked… scared? This was not lost on Weiss.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby mumbled something incoherent. "Could you speak up?

"I can't dance." She said, not wanting to meet Weiss gaze, fearing she may have offended her. She felt warm hands take hers and place them on certain spots on the heiress body. Weiss did the same and they began to sway.

"It's Okay. I'll lead, and you follow." She whispered. Ruby nodded, enjoying the close proximity to her partner. She could smell the Vanilla perfume she was using.

Weiss was also relishing the close proximity to Ruby and the smell of her partner. Roses and a hint of strawberry. They were lost in their own world.

They weren't the only ones, Blake and Yang were also content as they danced, and Alex and Alexis were also having fun.

They would all have fun that night, as they all went back to work the next day. They had their first mission tomorrow, after all.

* * *

Author's Note: Back to Back Chapters. I wrote this before the previous one so if some parts don't make sense, I am fixing them. Though don't expect something like this to happen often. Anyway, leave a review? It helps out quite a bit, especially to know what it is I am doing right/wrong/ somewhat incorrectly.

I should also mention Happy Holidays to all!

Hopefully you enjoyed it, and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 23

* * *

"Yeah. All I'm saying is that if we launch this year, we should be able to break even on the project. Before the end of the fiscal year." The Brunette CEO said to the woman on the screen. If you haven't guessed it already, Alex was in the library taking a video call.

"Yes, but we don't know if it's ready for mass deployment of this caliber."

"I mean, from our research conducted how were the results?"

"They were excellent, no issues. But that was in a controlled environment, we are talking about advertising, selling and providing a service to MILLIONS of people on remnant. There could and will be faults."

"Well we are just going to have to iron them out right? Look, we've been working on this for quite some time and I'm sure the Atlesian Government has already caught on. I saw a few soldiers looking at the Tower in Vale a few weeks ago when I was there."

"Are you sure? There is no turning back once we move forward."

"The Government needs this. They think that no one would make a rival to the CCT."

"Yeah but the CCT was a gift for the world from Atlas."

"It's a relic now. It goes down for maintence almost on a daily bases now and I've been seeing my scroll blink for a split second with some stupid chess piece icon."

The woman in question raised a quizzical brow. "You don't have anything important on there right?"

"Do I look like someone who would do that?" His eyes widened as the woman raised an eyebrow "Don't answer that. All I have is just school stuff."

"Speaking of school, why did you chose to go to Beacon? Why not study at the Atlesian Federal Academy? It's the same thing."

"No Natalie, it isn't."

"Another thing I still don't get how you didn't end up being a Grifball player, didn't City CG look at you for their youth academy?"

"We've gone over this several times, Yes they did. But this is what I want. Hell I've already made a few friends and my partner is-"

"Partner? You've already got a girlfriend?"

"Wha-? No! We're assigned partners. We stick to them for the next four years."

"Right, so who's yours?"

"Alexis Blau."

"Wait, isn't she the one who won the Bundescup last year?

"She talked about it."

"Right. So how is it anyway?"

"So far it's been alright I guess. Homework is the one thing I hate but I still prefer that to the damn paperwork back at the Corp."

"Yeah, lucky you. I'm stuck here with the damn paperwork."

"I did extended the invitation, would probably have made it less awkward at the moment."

"How?"

"Well, I was sorta dumped on a team already. Team RWBY."

"That's the group with Schnee isn't it?"

"Yup. She still has that attitude." He lied, for the sake of business atleast.

"I would be surprised if she didn't. Anyway, it's getting late here. Besides I have someone to meet." Said the woman, packing up some stuff.

"Alright might as well go before I get yelled at."

"Do they do that?"

"Just Lex" he quickly clamped his mouth shut, but the damage was already done. "Shut up..."

"Lex? Look at you, Already having cute nicknames for each other. Have you two been getting cozy with each other?" The brunette woman teased.

"Sod off would you?" Thank every deity that the laptop screen messes with the webcam otherwise there was no hiding the blush. "While you're doing that, send me one of the HTC Turbo's. I'll test it out here."

"Alright, noted. Would you like me to send one for 'Lex' as well?" Natalie kept teasing, the smug grin on her face.

"Ha ha very funny. But actually, yeah. Send one out. In blue."

"Really?" He nodded. "Alright. I'll have to authorize another SIM as well."

The call ended abruptly as the CCT Network went down…again. He heard several groans as from other students as the internet went down. He sighed before grabbing his stuff and heading back for the dorm.

"Man, the dance Yesterday was fun." He was remembering Yesterdays events. The blonde and himself agreed to go together, of course Alexis was acting weird and kept repeating that it was in a friendly way.

He smiled as he remembered the dress she wore, how it accented her curves in the right places and even showed a bit of cleav-

"Cut it out man!" He mumbled to himself. "She is very pretty, beautiful even." He kept coming up with words of praise about her blonde partner and before he knew it he was at the dorm. Bringing up his wrist, the lock clicked and he opened the door. Everyone was either on their bed or sitting at the desk.

"Where have you been?" Alexis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I took a video call."

"And you couldn't take it here?" She retorted, crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, no. Business-y stuff."

"Ew, sounds complicated." Yang interjected, her blonde mane falling to the floor as she looked at him upside from her bunk.

"It is, very boring too. Anyway, shouldn't we be getting our crap packed?" He looked around, confused at why no one was packing, or doing anything for that matter.

"We did while you were gone." Weiss said, not looking up from her textbook.

"So I'm packing by myself?"

"No, Alexis did that for you as well." The brunette turned to the blonde, who had slight dusting of pink that was barely visible.

"I took it upon myself to be a good teammate and do you a favor." She explained, not meeting his gaze.

"Thanks…I think?"

"Anyway, we're just waiting for the All-Call from Goodwitch." Yang explained as she read her magazine, still upside down.

Meanwhile, Weiss had noticed that Ruby was quiet. Something that she found odd. Usually Ruby would be bouncing off the walls excited, but she was reading something. It looked like a weapons magazine. Weiss lost track of how long she stared at her red-headed leader/partner, but was startled out of her stupor.

A small tone played from the Team Leaders Scroll. Taking it out, she read out the notification.

"Alex, Ozpin wants to talk to us."

"Why?"

"Didn't say, but said we should hurry." She got up and closed the magazine. Grabbing her weapon, Ruby stretched before making her way to the door. "Well?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" He groaned before grabbing his shotgun. The lever fell off… followed by the handle.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" he groaned again. "Do we have any duct tape?" He asked looking for the " _Solution to everything_ "

"I don't think duct tape is the correct way to fix that." Blake looked up from her book. Yang got off her bunk and tossed him a roll of the silver tape.

"Nonsense Blake. If it can't be fixed with Duct Tape, then you aren't using enough Duct Tape!" He said as he taped the handle back onto the gun, and the lever to the handle.

"Wait, Isn't it a lever-action shotgun? How are you going to rechamber if you duct tape the lever to the handle?" Alexis asked him as she watched him struggle to cut the tape. He stopped mid struggle as he looked at the failing weapon and the amount of duct tape used."

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

"Alex will fix it later, come on! We are going to be late!" The red head grabbed his arm and dragged him out.

* * *

Ozpin's Office

General Ironwood, Glynda and Headmaster Ozpin were what could kindly be described as a very in depth discussion about the events that happened to the Dance.

"They were here... Ozpin, they were here!" Ironwood angrily slams his fist against Ozpin's desk.

"We're very much aware of that! Thank you, James." Acknowledged a very Irritated Glynda

Ironwood responds, sounding as irritated as she is. "Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!"

An alert sound plays, signifying that someone has arrived on the elevator.

"Come in." said Ozpin, loud enough for the occupants to hear.

Ruby and Alex both step out and into the room with Ruby addressing everyone first.

Sorry it took so long. Someone needed to fix his weapon with duct tape AND hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." She glares at Alex, who just whistles while looking around. "It wasn't me." Ozpin simply raises an eyebrow before letting it go.

"Duct…tape?" Glynda asked, confused

"Thank you both for coming." Ozpin interrupted the Blonde"How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't O-for-three."

Everyone stares silently and Alex facepalmed.

Ruby laughs nervously and scratches the back of her head sheepishly. "Heh…Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it."

Ironwood goes up to them and places a hand on Ruby's shoulder "Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could."

"Thank you, sir."

Ozpin takes a sip of his mug before addressing the two of them. "Now, the general here has already informed of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add."

Ruby explained what she saw and gave a brief description of the perpetrator in question. They both silently came to the conclusion that it must have been the person who Glynda fought the day Ruby was admitted.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you.

"Any time."

They both start making their way back to the elevator before Ironwoods voice stops them again.

"Mr. Rojo, if you could stay for a moment." He turned around, raising an eyebrow before turning back to the elevator. He noticed Ruby waiting for him and made a sign, telling her to go. She hesitated before pressing the button on the elevator, closing it.

"Yes?" he asked the General.

"Well, from some information I've gathered. It seems that some of your weaponry has gotten into the 'wrong' hands. Care to explain?" He raised an eyebrow, was Ironwood insisting he is aiding the White Fang?

"General, it seems to me that you are attempting to place the blame for this on me. I would like to point out that PNA only manufactures the shells of the AP-290's. The weapons add-on, dust and software are all done by the SDC before ending up on your doorstep.". Ironwood narrowed his eyes as well, before nodding and letting up.

"I see. I also have another question. This is regarding a rumor I've been hearing." He explained, face emotionless. "The rumor was that you are working on a Rival to the Cross Continental Transmit System. What is your take on this rumor?"

He was taken aback for a split second, how would he know?

* * *

He had developed and was ready to roll out something called a broadband and telecommunications company. It would be named Remnant Telephone and Telegraph, or RT&T. He already had leased the land needed, built the "Cell Sites" and was ready to be activated with the flip of a switch. Most scrolls sold by subsidiaries of the Company he runs. Devices from HTC or iFruit devices, would work without any problems on the new "Cellular Network."

Comparing both this "Cellular Network" to the Cross Continental Transmit System, they work functionally the same. Cell Sites are placed in various areas, so no matter where you are you are always connected. They would be placed in strategic locations as to not cause issues with the grimm or be a nuisance. They are smaller, and can be mounted on power poles, and Transmission Towers. They would transmit signals from the Cell Site to the scroll, and if they moved too far away from a suitable cell site they would connect to the CCT until a decent Signal Site was found.

There were however 2 major differences.

First is the type of communication Cell Sites would be using is called "Long Term Evolution." Which is faster, has stronger signal and is more reliable than the CCT in certain areas. Inside Buildings, for example.

The second and most important difference between the two was that the CCT System was and still is prone to massive failure. If one of the four CCT Towers goes, they all go. It is major complaint when the towers are down for a few minutes due to maintenance, but it seems that the SDC and the Atlesian Government cannot be bothered to fix this. The CCT is also able, at the request of the Atlesian Military, to be able to be reversed engineered and can send out whatever they wanted it to.

The Cell Sites are not prone to this, if one tower goes offline, that specific area might not have connectivity for a few minutes at most. They cannot be reverse engineered at all.

* * *

"Really? Who told you that?" he asked, acting as if this was his first time hearing it. "We don't have that kind of tech yet, it takes time to do something like that." He lied. Ironwood seemed to have bought it, at least for now.

"Very well, thank you for cooperating. I do apologize for the inconvenience." The boy nodded before turning to leave, but again was stopped. This time by Ozpin

"Alexander-"He turned to face the headmaster. "I see that you and your partner, Miss Blau, are sharing a dorm with Team RWBY."

"Yes…" He drawled, signaling for him to continue.

"Well, a dorm recently was vacated. It's exactly a door down. I was wondering if you two would be interested in moving in there for your time here at Beacon."

His brows went up in surprise. It would be cool to have a 4 person dorm all to themselves. So much space for things! But he would have to run it by Alexis, he couldn't make the decision by himself without at least talking to her.

"OK, let me talk to Alexis about this first though. Don't want to say yes then suddenly she getting all upset and what not."

"Understandable, I'll give you a few days to think about it." He took another sip of his mug. "That is all, thank you."

He nodded before pressing a button on the elevator. While it made its decent, he began to think about it. A whole dorm, just for the two of them! It sounded awesome. Hopefully Alexis thought so as well.

The elevator made a 'ding' before opening the doors, Ruby was swinging her legs back and forth as she waited. She looked up and smiled before going over to him.

"That took a while, what happened? Did you get in trouble? Was it because of the music?" She quickfired questions at him.

"No, No, No, She was miffed but no. Ironwood just asked me some questions was all. And Ozpin offered me and Alexis a vacated dorm room. Don't tell her yet,

"Alexis and I, and I won't" Ruby corrected, causing him to raise an Eyebrow. "What?"

"Weiss has really rubbed off on you." He said. She sputtered something indignit before returning to the topic of the conversation

"Really? He offered you a dorm?"

"Yeah, He said it was 'Exactly One Door Down."

"That's cool, you get your own dorm and it gets less cramped in ours." She said, though she would miss his company sometimes. "Plus, you'll have room for things!"

"I know,right?! So much space for things!"

They carried the conversation about having room for things all the way to the dorm. Bringing his wrist to the door, the lock clicked and he opened it. The four quickly rush over to them, scaring Alex.

"Gah!" he ended up jumping back a little and falling

"What happened?" Yang asked, excitedly and ignoring the fallen boy.

"Uh... well, um..."

* * *

Back in Ozpin's office.

"Well there we have it. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way." Said Ironwood, turning and facing the window.

"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like a contest of measuring di—!"

"Glynda!"

She simply crosses her arms "Well, he does."

Ozpin turns his chair to face them "She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic." Ironwood clenches his fist as he speaks before showing a face of irritation and turning to face Ozpin.

They both get into an argument, Glynda began to rub her temples as the Impending migraine came in. They bickered for a few minutes until Ozpin pulled out a valid point.

"So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?"

* * *

Team RWBY's dorm.

"Ruby that was a risky move." Said Weiss, arms crossed. She was silently proud of how Ruby handled the situation though.

Blake was sitting on Weiss' bed. "No, I think you handled it well."

Ruby looks down nervously, twiddling her thumbs. She was doubting how she handled the situation was a very good way. "I hope so."

Yang pats Ruby on the shoulder "I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby. Oh, I know what will cheer you up!"

The Blonde looks for it before saying "ah ha!" She shows her a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.

"What's that?" Ruby asked, getting everyone else's attention as well. Alexis and Alex were sitting around the desk and tried to see what Yang had.

"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together!"

"Ooooh! Something from home!" She zooms over to Yang and wraps herself around her, trying to take the cylinder from her. The package opens, and another cylinder, hairy and black, falls out onto the floor and starts to shake. The object suddenly transforms into a corgi. They all approach the object and lean in, staring at it.

The animal barks twice. Weiss covers her face and lifts a leg defensively, Blake jumps in the air, holding her fingers out like claws. Alexis jumped back a little out of shock and Alex just watches their reactions in amusement. Ruby and Yang react excitedly, with Ruby jumping in the air. Yang simply raises her arms excitedly. All their reactions cause the dog to jump playfully and wag his tail.

"Zwei!"

"He sent a dog?" Blake asked.

"Through the mail?" Weiss added.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!"

Blake disappears, Alex looks up and noticed that she is on Ruby's bed now.

"Wait, Your dad does this or your dog?" Asked Alexis, confused.

Weiss approaches Ruby, who is holding Zwei. "Are you telling me that this mangy... drooling... mutt is going to wiv wif us foweva? Oh, yes he is, oh yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable!" Weiss begins to scratch and talk in baby. Ruby is a little taken back by Weiss sudden change in personality, and she isn't the only one. The Red Head noticed how Alexis and Alex where giving Weiss confused looks.

"Please keep him away from my belongings." Said Blake, eyes narrowed and glaring at Zwei.

Glynda's voice suddenly grabbed their attention away from the Corgi. "Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?"

"Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for the week." Said Weiss, scratching his ears.

Ruby sets Zwei down and he walks over to Blake still on the top bunk, and barks. Blake moves slowly on the bed and the corgi moves along as she does. Alex decided to go use the restroom as Alexis scratched Zwei's back, trying to get him from following Blake.

"Look, there's a letter!" Zwei arrives in front of Yang while she reads the letter. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang."

Dozens of cans of dog food spill out of the small package, piling up around Zwei.

"What is he supposed to do with that?"

Alex returned and noticed the pile of dog food around Zwei. A can opener falls from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head and before it hits the floor, he juggles it with his feet showing off some fancy foot work before he kicks it up and places it on the table.

"Well, that settles it! Come on, Zwei will be here when we get back!"

As they begin to leave, Weiss passes by Zwei and continues to talk in baby talk "Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you, I can't believe how cute you are."

Meanwhile, Blake jumps down from Ruby's bunk and jumps across the table, avoiding Zwei. The lamp on the table rolls a little from Blake's jump but resettles.

Ruby stares at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily. Alexis and Alex are the last to file out but she gets Alex's attention.

"Alex!" He turns around, raising an eyebrow. "Could you toss me that bag over there?" she points to the backpack with the Beacon insignia. He lifts it up with his foot and gently kicks it to her, she catches it with no issues. "Thanks."

* * *

Auditorium.

Team RWBY is one of the last teams to make it to the auditorium. Ruby is wearing a large backpack as she enters the auditorium with other students. She then puts it down next to other student's luggage before rejoining her team, who are standing in front of Team JNPR. She stands next to Weiss, who is looking up to the center of the Auditorium where Glynda was setting up the Mic. Ruby couldn't help but admire her partner, as she usually did. However, she was as subtle as a Military Tank in a Church sometimes. This was one of those times.

Weiss could see from the corner of her eye how Ruby would try to look at her, how she kept trying to be inconspicuous. Weiss honestly found it adorable. It was a little bit similar to how a child would look at their school crush. She silently thanked Yang and was trying to find a way to repay her for giving the heiress the push she needed to ask Ruby for a Dance.

She looked over to Ruby and saw how she quickly snapped her head forward, as if trying to play it off. She shook her head and inched a bit closer to the Scythe-Wielder. Their elbows touched for the briefest of moments, it wasn't anything huge, just a slight bump.

'OhmygoshwetouchedelbowsshesoclosetomeIcansmellher-' her train of thought was interrupted by Glynda, tapping in the microphone twice.

"Quiet! Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." She stepped aside to allow Ozpin to take the Mic.

Ozpin gave an emotional speech, talking about standing together against a common enemy, the history of the Great War and its causes. The reason why most students have names that are representative of some kind of color, self-expression, standing against oppression, diversity, etc. He dismissed the students after, letting them go to pick a mission.

Ruby turned to talk to her team "This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!"

"Yeah!" Yang added, looping an arm around her Faunus partner while gesturing about stealth. "We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip by night!"

"Because doing something like that always ends well, right?" Alexis asked her, crossing her arms. But Yang's enthusiasm wasn't wavering.

"It has! The docks mission-"

"Shhh" Team RWBY all in Unison pressed a finger to their lips, shushing Yang from spilling the beans.

"Like I was saying, before being rudely interrupted!" She whispered harshly "The Docks incident, Ruby's fight against that lady, we can do stealth!" she said that last part aloud, causing Blake and Alexis to shake their heads.

"Anyway" Weiss said, trying to get back on topic "Let's go see what we can get. I think search and destroy is our best bet though."

They all walk over to one of the Screens, before picking out a specific one. Ruby went up to it and found one that fit the criteria.

"Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!"

"Well, it's in the southeast!"

Yang nodded "Sounds perfect!"

Ruby nods before selecting the mission, then it prompts her to enter her team name. After doing so and submitting it, the screen spat out an error message

"MISSION UNAVILABLE TO FIRST YEAR STUDENTS"

"Wonderful!" said Weiss sarcastically.

"Have any other ideas?" Blake asked. Ruby thought about it for a second before an idea popped up.

"We mail ourselves there!"

"I don't think we have enough stamps for that Ruby." Said Alexis with a chuckle.

"Are there any other missions in the south?" Asked Alex, taking out his scroll and a cable from the Scavenger around his waist. Ruby went and checked onscreen before shaking her head.

"No, all the others have been taken and this is the only one left. Unless you guys want to take up a farming job in the south?" Everyone gave her a deadpanned look, causing her to rub her head sheepishly "Alright! That's a no!" She sighed dejectedly "What do we do know?"

"I think I can do something." The boy said. Hooking one end of the cable to the scroll, he went over to the display and began searching for something.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Weiss inquired on their behalf, leaning to see what he was looking for.

"These displays have a port, if I can access it I may be able to…'fix'…this issue." He used air quotes around 'fixed'. A few seconds later, he found the rectangular port on the left hand side of the display. With a swipe of a finger and a few taps, the screen on the display began displaying a command prompt. They all looked at each other with awe and excitement.

"Look at You! Cracking security like it's nothing!" Yang teased.

"Hey, if I don't then who will?" He shot back jokingly. The display finished showing the command prompt and returned to the previous screen. He typed in the team name again, this time it went through and securing that mission.

"Awesome! Now all we have to do is-" Ruby was swiftly interrupted by Ozpin.

"Well, that's one way to approach the situation." Ruby turns around to face him. He takes a sip of his mug before continuing. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular.

"In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose. What Mr. Rojo just did isn't disproving my assumptions."

Ruby tried, and failed horribly, to play it cool. "Whatever makes you say that?"

Ozpin took a sip of his mug before answering. "I'm still curious how you all found yourself at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."

Weiss, Blake, Alexis and Yang glare at Ruby, who nervously rubs her head while he pretending to look around to avoid their glares.

"Um... well..." The Red Head tried to come up with an answer, but again Ozpin interrupted her.

"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them a little? I'll dismiss this little 'thing' You may go on this mission, but you must listen to your huntsman at all times. No sneaking around during the night-" he looked over at Yang "You must obey his command. Understood?" They all nodded in unison.

"We won't let you down. Thank you, professor."

"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck."

Team RWBY have left the auditorium and are on their way to the airship that will take them to Quadrant 5. They exchanged words about how Ozpin's words weren't exactly uplifting or promising, but it didn't faze them.

As they walked to their Airship, several students gathered around one landing pad, apparently Team CFVY had returned.

Blake went over to greet the rabbit Faunus. "Velvet? Are you okay?"

Velvet gestured behind with her thumb. "I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me."

"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago! What happened?"

"Nothing happened. It was just ... there were just so many... " Velvet looked up and noticed Team RWBY's worried expressions. "Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."

"Fair enough" Alex said.

"I should go. Be safe, okay?"

"Well, that wasn't exactly positive." Alexis said, rubbing her arm nervously.

Ruby shook her fist before punching the air. "We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now."

"Right."

"Besides" The scythe Wielder continued, "it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!

Yang matched her sister's positivity "Yeah!"

* * *

About 1 Minute and 43 seconds later.

Yang was looking at the huntsman they'd be shadowing, recoiling in shock. Ruby wasn't faring to much better as she tried her best to give two thumbs up. Weiss eyes were wide in shock and Blake was disappointed, hands limp and body slouched. Alexis had her hands at her hips with her mouth open and Alex had a deadpan look, though his weapon did fall apart again.

"Why, hello everyone! Who's ready to fight for their lives?"


	23. Chapter 23

Spoilers to Volume 3 in the A/N at the end.

* * *

The Team looked around at eachother, confused and a bit scared at the prospect of having Professor Oobleck as their Chaperon.

"Um, Professor Oobleck?" Weiss hesistated and instantly regretted asking.

He began to pace around the group, talking very fast per usual. They barely understood what he said as he walked back and forth before lowering down to Weiss height, adjusting his glasses. "And It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!"

Weiss looks over at Ruby, who is equally disturbed.

"Uhhh..."

"Come now, children." He looked at his wrist, despite not wearing a watch. "According to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind ...schedule!" He zipped to the airship, waving for them to follow.

"Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oooobleck- okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse." Ruby deflated completely halfway through.

"Save the world?" The tone of a certain orange haired hammer/grenade launcher user grabs their attention. They all turn and see Nora and team JNPR approaching. "You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren..." Nora Glared at Ren, who acted very un-Ren-like and turned away arms crossed.

"Sounds exciting. Where ya going?" Jaune asked curiously, his team was also nervous of their first mission.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom..." Ruby trailed off, not wanting to give much away.

"Hey! So are we!"

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village." Elaborated Pyrrah on Nora's behalf.

"We set out tomorrow." Ren added as he uncrossed his arms.

Before anyone else could respond, Oobleck appears from the airship to call the team. "Four minutes!" He zipped back inside, Team JNPR having awkard smiles at the Professors Antics.

"Well, uh...Wish us luck!" Ruby threw an awkward thumbs up as they all said their goodbyes. JNPR returned to Beacon while RWBY walked to the airship.

* * *

The airship had passed over the entire city of Vale before flying over a huge wall into what looked like the beginning of the exclusion zone. Everyone was trying to make small talk in order to pass the time, which lead to the conversation they were having now.

"I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter." Yang explained, facing Doctor Professor Oobleck.

"While I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, I can assure you that, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles.

Ruby scratched her head in confusion. "Wait, Like the mushroom?"

Blake leaned in from her right. "Those are truffles."

Ruby was still lost. "Like the sprout?"

Yang leaned in from her left. "Those are Brussels."

"Anyway, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!"

"So wait, what does history have to do with this?" Weiss asked, who due to her short stature was having difficulty hanging on to the strap on the railing.

Oobleck turned sharply to face Weiss, shock on his face. "Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager."

"And that means..?"

"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!"

"Mountain Glenn."

"That's right!" Yang added "It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city."

At the same time, they all notice the sign that they were about to pass.

MOUNTAIN GLENN COUNTY LINE. POPULATION 0

"Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder. I'm sure would like to elaborate on why that is, wouldn't you?"

The group's focus is on Alex now, who was looking down at the ruined city they were flying above. A hand on his shoulder got his attention.

Alexis was looking at him, concern etched on her features. She nodded towards Oobleck, who was waiting with a raised eyebrow.

"Um…What?"

"I was explaining to the group about Mountain Glenn's expansion failure, and that you might have something to share to add to the conversation." Alex knew where Doctor-Professor Oobleck was going with this.

"I'm assuming you're talking about Merlot?" Oobleck nodded, everyone minus Weiss was now curious.

"Well, Merlot Industries was PNA's, then PNC's, research and development division. The main facility in was built here in Mountain Glenn." He pointed to the building, the Merlot Logo having rotted. "It was supposed to attract people to settle here, jobs and - "

"-And the area around it is a likely place for a hideout." Blake interrupted

"Precisely!" Oobleck smirks and adjusts his glasses.

The airship found an open area large enough for it to hover above safely. Everyone jumped and safely landed on the ground with their weapons drawn. Except for Oobleck, who took a big gulp of his thermos. The ship then lifts up and flies away from the abandoned city.

"Alright!" Oobleck orders as he paces around everyone "You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" Everyone nodded in understanding, but he suddenly looks at Ruby. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't."

Alex facepalmed.

"She's not wrong..." He whispered to himself "Very well, Ruby. Leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return."

"I, well uh-"

"Young lady! What in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with..." The bag's zipper opens and out pops Zwei's head, causing everyone to turn their attention to their leader and the stowaway in the bag.

Ruby whispered to Zwei through the side of her mouth. "Get back in the bag. Maybe they won't notice." Zwei merely barked in response.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?"

"uhh..."

"Genius!" Everyone stared at Ruby, who just gave a confused shrug right before Oobleck sped past her and snatched the corgi away from her, causing her to tumble and nearly fall to the ground before Weiss caught her, Oobleck was spinining Zwei in the air. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" Zwei simply barks happily"

Ruby, stunned by the unexpected reaction, she proudly points to herself "I'm a genius!"

Weiss and Yang both join Alex, facepalming at their grinning leader.

"So," Blake started, placing a relaxing hand on Yang's shoulder. "What are your orders, Doctor?"

"Ah, yes, straight to the chase! I like it!" He suddenly lets go of Zwei, who fell to the ground, and placed his hands behind his back for a serious pose. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being... Grimm."

Alexis blinked in confusion at the redundancy. "Um, what?" she asked.

Oobleck nodded behind them. "Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment."

"Wait, What?!" The others turned and spotted the lone Beowolf wandering into the street.

Oobleck noticed Blake readying herself to strike "Stop!"

"Huh?" Blake lowered her weapon at his order, everyone followed and lowered their weapons as well.

They all paid attention to his small lecture about why they were here, and that whatever hidden group was around this area was attracting a lot of grimm to the area.

"So... What now?" Ruby asked, getting impatient with the lack of killing of the grimm.

"We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey."

"And exactly how long do we have to wait?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months - and there's the whole pack." He pointed behind them again, this time five other Beowolves were behind what they assumed was the pack leader.

"What?" Weiss whipped around quickly and indeed more grimm was with the lone Beowolf.

"Wow." Alex drawled. "That was easy. Man, we are doing a fantastic job."

"And now they've seen us."

"What?!" Weiss asked again, louder this time.

Oobleck came right up to Weiss' ear "AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!" Both Weiss and Ruby cringed at the professor's loud voice near their ears.

"I take it tracking them is out of the question?" Alexis asked, drawing her weapon again.

"An accurate assumption, yes."

"What's the plan, then?"

They all turn to their professor as the creatures close in. Doctor Professor Oobleck fixes his glasses and smirks. "Show me what you're capable of".

Yang was able to make short work of her Beowolf, one punch was enough to kill it. Blake used her shadow clones to lure in one, coming in for the kill after it attacked her clone. Weiss and Ruby made short work of theirs, Ruby with her sniper and Weiss used her glyphs to send one of them flying away.

Alexis made short work of her beowolf as well, deflecting a strike with the shield on her arm and slashing at the exposed body in half, simple work. Weiss, Yang, Blake and Alexis met up with Doctor Oobleck as they waited for Ruby and Alex.

Alex was having a harder time, his lever action shotgun jamming every other shot. So he improvised, instead of using the shotgun to shoot, he used his feet.

He stared down his beowolf, neither of them moving and neither of them back down.

Taking out a blue shotgun shell, he tossed it infront of him like a ball before keeping it up with his feet. He was using the shell as a ball, and once he got near the beowolf he preformed a Rainbow flick with it, lifting over the Beowolf as it tried to swing at him.

He was able to turn around and kicked the shell up and volleyed it at the beowolf, hitting it directly. Ice started to form around the head and upper body area of the creature. He loaded a green shell into the shotgun and after cycle it several times, was able to fire it at the grimm. The ice and anything covered by it shattered, killing the grimm.

He went back towards the others, noticing that everyone was waiting on him.

"Heh. Piece of cake!" Ruby told Oobleck once the boy joined them.

Oobleck readjusted his glasses "Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?"

They continue the Journey into the Abandoned city as they were cutting, sniping, punching and slicing any grimm in the area.

Oobleck stands in the middle of the exhausted group, getting up from examining a plant. "Excellent work! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!"

While Ruby folds her scythe, she calls for Zwei to follow. Yang, already agitated, she irritably asks Oobleckn"Hey, Doc, y'know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a "pro Huntsman" in action. Like, fighting, or at least, helping us fight?"

Oobleck keeps walking, talking over his shoulder "Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity!" He turns to face the others. "Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination! Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that."

"Well, yeah...Of course!" Yang tried to sound certain of her answer, but Oobleck could see through the façade

* * *

Throught the day, Oobleck was going around the group. Asking questions of why they were here and what their motivation was for becoming a huntress. He jotted down the answers he got from everyone, Minus Ruby, Alex and Alexis.

While questioning Weiss, Doctor Oobleck noticed that Alex hadn't ben using his weapon very much. So once he finished questioning Weiss, he turned his attention to him.

"Mr. Rojo!" He called, distracting the boy and causing him to miskick the red shell. It hit the building next to his target grimm. It still died, but he damaged the building next to it.

The brunette walked over to the Professor, who was waiting for him with arms corssed.

"Yes?" He cringed as he heard the other half of the building collapse.

"I noticed you've been using your weapon sparingly. As a huntsman, the weapon you built is not just a weapon, but an extension of one's self. Do you not like your weapon?"

"It's not that-"He took out his weapon to prove a point "-it's more along the lines of 'It's not working'" Oobleck raised an eyebrow. He cycled, or tried to, with the lever and showed the green haired Doctor Professor the issue. "The issue is that it's taken quite a knackering from Ruby, the emerald forest, etc."

"I see, but that's not excuse for it to be fragile. Your weapon is made to be used, not to be some sort of useless art work."

"Completely understandable. If I'm honest though, this wasn't the weapon I had in mind to bring to Beacon." This piqued Ooblecks curiosity.

"Really, would you mind explaining what it is you had in mind? Surely you could've made it before you arrived at Beacon."

"I didn't exactly have all the resources to build the weapon I had in mind."

The professor nodded and hummed, causing the brunette to look around awkwardly. "Very Well then, once we arrive at Beacon, in one piece, you are two get to work on your replacement

Alex nodded and Oobleck zipped away.

* * *

Later on, as everyone is taking a breather, Ruby is using her weapon in the most practical fashion, hitting a turkey up while Alex gently kicks it back to her. They were teasing a jumping and flipping Zwei with it. They both noticed their Professor approaching them and Ruby sheaths Crescent Rose. The turkey was still in the air so he quickly booted it far enough that hopefully he doesn't see it, landing on the roof of some building a few blocks away. Zwei whines, annoyed at the loss of his treat.

"Sorry! uhh...-" Both Alex and Ruby cringe as the building the turkey landed on collapsed. "Are we ready to keep going?" asked the Scythe wielder.

He looks around, completely ignoring that. It was starting to get dark. "Nope! I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon. You three-" He pointed to Yang, Weiss and Blake "-set up camp in that building. You two-" He points to the Brunette Boy and his Blonde Partner "do make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby.

Alex and Alexis nodded and walked away. Doctor Professor Oobleck and Ruby walk away from the rest of WBY. The three looked on at their leader, knowing what he was going to ask her.

As Alexis and Alex walked around the perimeter, worry was etched on her face. Her partner hadn't said much the entire day. Apart from talking too Oobleck about something earlier on in the day. Usually he talked about something, or complain about something. She had gotten used to his randomness and this seemed extremely odd to her.

A blinking light coming from his wrist seemed to get both their attention. He pulled out his scroll to see what it was.

"What is it?" The blonde asked.

"Text from my assistant." Alexis raised an eyebrow.

"And…?"

"She knows I'm here. And wants me to go to the abandoned Merlot Building. Says that there is something for me there." He paused trying to think about what that could possibly mean.

"Oh no, we are NOT going to that building."

"Come on! This could be that exciting thing we've been waiting for!" He whined like a child.

"No."

"Please?"

"No"

"Please Please?"

"No No."

"Please Please Please?" he insisted.

"Ugh, fine! Let's just go in and out. I better get something out of this!" He beamed at her.

"Anything." He nodded.

"I'll hold you to that." Alexis told him, receiving a thumbs up before blowing into a sprint.

Alexis just shook her head, a smile gracing her features. "He is childish, but it'd be weird if he wasn't." She said before catching up with him.

The two arrived at the abandoned building, doors locked and windows boarded up. It had that creepy feeling to it.

He tapped his watch to the keypad, but it denied him entry. He then tried two keycards, which were also rejected.

"Can you please hurry up? This place gives me the heebee jeebees." She said, weapon at the ready. He burst out laughing. "It's not funny!"

"I'm..sorry…" He had another round of giggles. "Heebee jeebees?" He asked in between breaths.

"Yeah." She mumbled. "Its fricken creepy!"

"Alright, sorry." He said as he wiped a tear from his eye. At least she made him laugh, she gave herself a point for that. "Stupid security lock won't open."

With a frustrated grunt, he punched the keypad hard enough to break it. The doors slid open instantly.

"That worked out better than expected."

Since it was getting dark, the building was already near pitch black. Alexis swapped dust vials to a lighter colored one in order to use her weapons flashlight feature. Her duel disk lit up the path they walked and a few feet infront of them as well.

"This looks like the setting for one of those horror games. Like the P.T." He nodded in agreement, he'd probably poo a little if they found a baby in a sink or something.

Alexis was also a bit scared. It's not like huntresses weren't humans, they also felt fear. And this was definitely a good time.

You see, Merlot did more than just try and get people to move to Mountain Glenn. Merlot was one of the Experimentation Camps that was in use during the Previous CEO's Tenure. This specific one was the worst one, experimenting on everything and anything it could get its hands on. Babies, both Human and Faunus, Faunus, Grimm, even huntresses and Hunters were experimented on.

There was a rumor going around that Merlot had found some kind of metal unknown to man until recently. According to 'extremely classified documents', the metal in question would bring out the hatred and evil out of anyone. Some sort of shape would appear somewhere on their body and they would become demonic like.

They continued onto the next flight of stairs, the blonde making sure to be close to her partner. Their hands touched a few times and she bit back the urge to hold his.

The dance had just confirmed what she already knew, and that was that she had grown very fond of Alex and had developed a crush on him. She was fairly sure that he was harboring feelings for her as well. At least if what Weiss, Yang, Nora, Velvet and even Penny said had any merit to it. She had to literally stop Yang from grabbing both their heads, making kissing noises and push their heads together during the dance.

As they continued walking the floor they were on, a sudden noise, similar to a growl, stopped them both in their tracks. Alex looked around carefully, hoping to not piss off whatever that was.

It growled again, it was loud enough that Alexis yelped and almost jumped into Alex's arms. He had instinctively wrapped himself around her protectively, before releasing her slowly.

"Are we almost were your shit is?!" She whispered harshly.

"It should be on this floor, the only door with a keypad." There was another growl, followed by a bang on the door they were right next to which startle both.

"Let's find whatever this is and leave!" He nodded and quickly located the door with the keypad.

The banging on the door increased, whatever was in there really, really didn't want to be in there anymore.

"Alex hurry up, please!"

"I'm trying, stupid piece of-" with an elbow to the keypad, the door opened. Brute Strength is always the solution.

Inside was an SD card, and some blueprints. He pocketed the SD Card and folded the blueprints into his pocket as well.

"Did you get whatever it was?" She asked, weapon ready. He nodded but before they could take a step to go back down stairs, the door was busted open.

"Oh my God" they both said in unison, horrified.

A Grimm had busted a lab door open, if the tables were anything to go by. It has no forelimbs, only hind limbs. Its hind limbs were dual-clawed, and were inverted at the knee joints, like an ostrich. It also has two tails for some reason. What made it worse was the fact that it was glowing green.

"Alexis…"

"Yes Alex?" She whispered, eyes widening at the realization there were more of them…and that they were all looking at them. There had to be at least 5. One slowly started walking over towards them.

Alex saw there was no way out, which meant that they would have to climb further up the building and find a window.

One of the others charged at them. "Run!" He yelled, and they both bolted. The other 4 began to run behind the hunter and huntress-in-training.

Climbing up the stairway, Alex knocked down several items in order to slow them down. There weren't any windows their floor either, so they had to run flight after flight of stairs as they slowly climbed higher and higher up the building. They got to the next floor. There was enough distance and debris between them and the Grimm, which gave them enough time to plan something.

"Alex, why do you want to get me killed? What did I ever do to you?" Alexis asked him, frantically looking around.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know there would be grimm in the building!"

"You do realize that if we die, I am going to kill you."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." He said as he tried unlocking doors. "As long as you make it out, its fine. Like I said, If I go, It'd be a minor-" The blonde grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him so that they were face to face.

"Don't you dare say it'd be a 'Minor Setback'." She growled. "It'd be the worst thing to happen, so stop saying that!"

"I…sorry. I didn't mean it to sound as if I want to die." He explained. "It was just trying to get a little bit of humor."

"Well then it's terrible. Stop saying it." He nodded, and despite it being a terrible, terrible time considering the circumstances, she couldn't help notice how close they actually were. And how his lips were close to hers, and-

They felt the Vibrations of the grimm as they walked up the stairs. This was the highest floor in the building, so there wasn't anywhere else to go. She let go of him, looking for any way out.

"Damn it! The stair way to the roof is welded shut!" Alex looked around for anywhere else they could go. He spotted a door, which meant that the room might have a window. He rammed it with his shoulder, which made it budge a bit before kicking it open. They both ran inside and closed the door. He shoved a metal pipe in the door handle to give them more time.

"The windows are boarded up!" Alexis yelled as Alex nearly tripped.

"Is it wood or metal?"

"Metal!"

"Damn it." He then hatched an idea. "Do you have any ice dust?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Freeze the barricade, then I'll shoot it. Hopefully it'll become fragile enough to shatter." She nodded and flicked her arm. A handle extended out and into her left hand, a button where her thumb would rest. A small barrel extended out along with a small, thick, plastic, motorcycle like window coming out above where her weapon began on her arm, acting like a shield.

'That's new, since when was her weapon a flamethrower?' He mused.

She fired a stream of ice that encased the entire window barricade. It took a few seconds, but the barricade did begin to crackle. Perfect.

Alex loaded a shell into his shotgun, before having difficulties using the lever to chamber. He heard a worrying 'Clang' before it chambered.

"Get back a bit." He warned.

He fired at the barricade, shattering the entire thing. Thankfully the window frame was gone as well, giving them a bigger hole to go and jump through.

"Alright, there should be a ladder around here so we might be able to climb-"Alexis was interrupted by the sound of the door being rammed down, followed by a growl.

"Yeah, we're going to have to jump." He said, looking back at the grimm. They were sniffing around and turned to the duo. They growled again and began to make their way towards them.

"Are you insane? That's a 15 Story fall!"

"Lex, WE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED BY THESE THINGS!" He explained. The grimm heard their commotion and roared loudly, attracting the rest to them as well.

She looked down before looking back at him. If she did go, at least she didn't go alone. He noticed her hesitation. He was also afraid of heights, but they had bigger things to worry about.

"Look, I've got you. Trust me." Alex tried to calm her down, and it worked little.

They grimm charged at them, breaking the walls that held the roof up. A big piece of debris struck one of them, killing it. The two watched in horror as instead of evaporating, the dead grimm began to bubble up.

Alex grabbed Alexis hand and made a run up before jumping.

He managed to grab her legs and swing them so that he was carry her bridle style, the soft hiss coming from the bottom of his shoes began to slow their decent. Their hearts were racing as the adrenaline was pumping through them like crazy.

They managed to land a few blocks away from the building, on some intersection. Alex placed Alexis on her feet. Once they caught their breath she hit him in the shoulder, hard.

"OW! Alexis why?"

"We nearly died! You made me jump out of building!"

He had to concede that, he nearly killed her.

"As long as we get back to Oobleck, we should be in the-"A roar got their attention as two of the other green glowing grimm seemed to have somehow gotten onto the street. "What is this bullshit!?"

"RUN!" They both turned and took off, remembering where they had set up camp.

The grimm were fast, and soon enough they were gaining on them.

"Lex, we have to kill them! We can't outpace them!" She turned to face him, nodding.

They stopped and turned towards the grimm, who were running at them full speed.

Alexis drew her sword, a bit of dust on the blade as she hit the ground with it. The dust began to turn into ice as it hit one of the grimm and knocked it into the other.

Alex ran towards the grimm, gaining enough momentum to perform the torpedo maneuver and going into his "Arched-Kick Manuever", creating and arc with one leg and sending it into the grimm with the other.

One of them got up quickly and began to charge at him, his back turned as he tried to kill the other one.

"Alex! Watch out!" The blonde yelled out. Unschething The Long Sword of Duel Disk, she swung in a 'X' shape. She then 'pushed' it with her free hand which propelled the shock wave forward.

The brunette turned to see the Two Legged Grimm thing charging at him full speed. He jumped back, trying to get enough distance. Unfortunatly it was gaining ground on him faster than he could back up. He jumped back one more time, before looking up to see it roar loudly and turn his back towards him. He saw the 'X' that hit it and slowly began to encase it in ice.

He took advantage of it and was able to load a shell into his damaged shotgun. He grabbed another shell, a green explosive one, and threw it infront of him. Before it hit the ground, he kicked it.

Once he saw it was close to enough to the grimm, he fired a slug from a black shell at the green one. The slug round hit the explosive shell and caused an explosion close enough to the slow grimm that it blew a part of its head off.

"That's a goal!" He yelled at her. The corpse began to bubble and fizz before it exploded violently, sending green questionable fluid everywhere.

He returned to Alexis side, who was panting. She had used up quite a bit of energy due to the distance.

"Was that your semblance?" He asked, gaining a nod in response.

"It's…Aural…Controlled...Fusion…" She panted, trying to gain her breath.

Another roar from behind them got their attention. Apparently one of them still hadn't been killed.

"Sweet merciful lord…" He groaned.

It charged at them, but Alexis was too tired to run. He had to fight this one on his own.

He emptied his bandolier of any shotgun shells. A few Green and Yellow ones, 4 black ones and a blue one.

He tossed a yellow one in front of him this time, and he kicked it with his right leg wrapped around the back of his planted left leg. A Rabona with a shotgun shell.

He loaded a green one into the gun and fired once the shell reached the target. The explosion from the green, followed by the shrapnel from the yellow one, caused the grimm to trip over and slide several meters.

As the grimm slid, Alex ran and jumped high in order to have enough downward momentum. His watch expanded and covered his fist as he brought it down to the head of the grimm, cracking it's head open and killing it. The crack was audibly heard, and the punch stopped the slide and impaled the grimm onto the pavement.

Alex ran over to Alexis, who had regained some energy back and witnessed the entire thing.

"That looked brutal." She motioned to the grimm.

"It deaded." He said simply, rotating his hand on the band of his watch. Alexis raised an eyebrow, deciding to save that last bit for later…

"Deaded?"

"Yeah! You know, I deaded it! Before it deaded us!" He explained as if it was the easy thing ever.

Alexis just shook her head at his childishness.

"You're such a child sometimes." He just shrugged "Let's go back before Oobleck sends a search party." She noticed how dark it had actually gotten.

Alex nodded, but they heard the sound of bubbling and fizzing. The grimm that was a few feet from them was about to explode!

They both fell to the ground, Alex covering Alexis with his body as he heard the explosion. They both had their eyes closed and they heard several things splat next to them.

"Is it over?" She asked, opening her eyes to the sight of his face close to hers.

"I think so." He said, eyes still closed. He opened them and he too noticed the close proximity between them. Alexis was about to close the small gap, before the sound of a dog barking brought her back to reality.

'Really? Are you serious?' she lamented on another opportunity wasted. Alex got up, helping the blonde to her feet. They turned to see Zwei barking at Ruby and Oobleck as he pointed the two missing hunters-in-training.

"Ms. Blau!" Oobleck zipped to them. "What happened here?"

"Um, would you believe me if I said 'Freak accident'?" He chuckled nervously, causing Alexis to face palm.

He took another swig of his mug, looking at the damage. "Exploding grimm?"

"Yes."

"Ah, they must be from the Merlot Building." He explained. "That building houses several types of grimm, almost all of which have been experimented on."

"What's that green stuff that's everywhere?" Alex asked.

"We don't know yet, but we do know is that it is not toxic."

They both breathed in relief.

"It does however stain clothes, and the back of Alex's shirt is filled with it."

His eyes widened before he scrambled to take off his Shirt, leaving him in his long sleeve undershirt. He cracked open a red shell and it instantly caught on fire.

"And now we know it's flammable! An Amazing discovery!" He proceeded to jot down some more notes. "Now come along, we have much more to do in the morning!" They followed Oobleck to where Ruby was waiting for them with Zwei, who was chasing a turkey on a string that Ruby was dragging along.

"Where did you guys go? You were supposed to be back an hour ago!" She noticed the boy had no T Shirt, only his thin undershirt. "And what happened to your shirt?"

"Um, we got lost. And encountered this weird green grimm. We killed it, but it kinda ruined my favorite Shirt.

"It's not a huge loss, your closet is full of the same colored ones anyway." Alexis joked.

"Hey!"

"That's sad." Ruby added on.

"At least I don't wear a dress…"

"It's a combat skirt!" They both said in unison.

"Whatever."

After Professor-Doctor-Doctor-Whatever Oobleck rambled about the history of the specific street they were on, they arrived to the campsite. Blake, Weiss and Yang were in the small room. A fire set up and their sleeping blankets on the floor next to it.

"You two were gone awfully long, did you enjoy your 'Alone time'?" Yang teased, smiling. It seemed forced though.

"Can it Yang." Warned Alexis, noticing that there were only 4 blankets.

"I was hoping you two wouldn't mind taking the next room over here." They turned to Oobleck, who was standing in the doorway to the room. Ruby had taken Zwei out to unload his bowels beside a nearby fire hydrant.

"It's no problem." They both said at the same time. Alexis went in first and began to put together the sticks for the fire. Before Alex could leave however, Yang grabbed his attention.

"Hey, did Oobleck by any chance ask you or her any questions on why you wanted to be Hunters?

He looked at her, confusion etched on his face before he shook his head "No he didn't. It was a long walk from where we were as well, he didn't ask us anything."

"Seriously? Like nothing at all?"

He shook his head again "Nope, he went on about the history of this and that and whatever. But he didn't ask us anything. Why?"

"Oh. No reason. Just wondering." Yang said as she looked at the others in silence.

"Alright then, Night guys."

"Night." They responded, all of them looking down at the fire.

* * *

Ruby rushed back inside and sat next to the fire, leaving a few rose petals behind. "Fire! So... warm..."

"Alright! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?"

Ruby raises her hand while still looking into the fire,"Yo."

Oobleck nods before he rushes off. As Ruby got up to go over to her lookout point, Yang stopped her on the way to the window.

"Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?

"Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird." She simply shrugged as she walked away "Oh, well; good night, guys!" She said energetically as she sat post on the rubble.

Yang looks down, disappointed. Blake isn't much better as she unrolls her mat, Weiss was lying down on hers, but couldn't sleep. Eventually, Yang half-heatedly eats her dinner of bread rolls. Soon, all three Huntresses are on their backs around the fire, wondering why they are there.

Ruby, meanwhile, is sitting in the vacant windowsill of the room as Zwei goes over to her upon hearing the howling of Beowolves. She pets him on the back as he trembles a little.

"Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow."

* * *

Author's Note: Aight den, some explaining.

I've decided that both my Characters aren't special enough to break the "Color Naming Scheme" so Alex took the first drop. Last name now "Rojo", Spanish for Red. Which means I have to go and make that fix on the 23 other chapters...Fantastic...

Next, further editing of the first chapters. Just more cleanup and removal of excess stuff. One major change is their (Alex and Alexis) background, which will be in the next chapter coming Soon™.

Now for the big thing, the ending of Series 3 totally derailed the "Sportier" version-thing I was going to go with. As in, it'll be there eventually...Just not how I intended to be...I was kinda banking on Pyrrah to you know...not RIP in Pieces...Literally. HOWEVER, that means that an idea I had scrapped can actually be used! It all works out (for the most part) in the end I suppose.

So, a TL;DR

OC's aint special, must follow Color Naming Law. Chapters will be fixed Accordingly, along with removal and movement of certain things. And the original "sportyline" I was going for is now going to be drastically changed...And I get to used a cool scrapped idea again.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter: 25

* * *

Alexis and Alexander were the other room, Oobleck had asked them to sleep here as to not wanting to crowd the others. Doctor Professor Oobleck even had to sleep on the roof to make room.

The blonde was laying on her blanket, having finished setting up their sleeping arrangements. She just watched as her partner was building the fire to keep them warm. It was going well…that was until he actually lit the fire itself…

"OW! Fuck!" he cursed expletives in Mistralian as he waved his hand, trying to cool it down. Alexis checked on him to make sure it wasn't serious.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned as she took a look at his hand. It was just a minor burn, leaving a small area on top of his hand red and tender. "Nothing too serious, you'll live to see another day." She joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. It seemed to work based on his reaction.

"Oh Good, I was worried I was done for." He returned in jest. She chuckled, shaking her head at the banter. The fire began to pick up until it was big enough to warm them both. They were silent for a few minutes, as Alexis stared at the fire. Alex was trying to remove something from his weapon.

"Something wrong with your weapon?" she asked as she saw him pull a piece off, it looked like something important.

"Yeah, it's on its last legs. Ruby really did a number on it and our little activities didn't exactly do it any favors. The duct tape isn't helping either, the grip is too wobbly and I'd rather it just not be there than it be there like a loose tooth and snap right off.

"I kinda have a similar problem with this." She lifted her arm to show him. "It's too heavy and it wasn't until I sparred first sometime ago I noticed that it wasn't up to par for the task.

"Right, and would that explain why my wallpaper was changed as well?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe…" She trailed off, not giving in. He laughed, having mostly fixed his weapon to work for now.

He laid down on his blanket, looking up and starting to think. 'What is so important on that stupid little card? It nearly got us both killed.' He pondered on that for a moment. He then turned to his blonde partner, she was just looking at the fire. At least, it seemed like it. It looked like she was looking at him, but he assumed it was the fire. He also chalked up the pink on her cheeks to the fire as well, maybe she was too close?

"Lex, you're going to burn yourself or go blind if you're that close to the fire."

"Huh? Sorry…" She said, backing up. He raised an eyebrow, usually she would be the one on high alert. That was if the Initiation was anything to go by.

"Something the matter?"

"No…well…" She hesitated. He gestured with his hand, telling her to go on. "I was just curious about…you."

"Me? What about me?"

"Just, you. We never did talk about each other."

"We talk about stuff!" He countered, not knowing what she really was talking about.

"We never talked about ourselves! You know, life before we met?"

"Ah, makes more sense. What brought this on?" He asked.

"I don't know, probably me overhearing what Oobleck was asking the others."

"So that's what Yang was talking about." he noticed Alexis giving him a confused look "Yang asked me if Oobleck asked us anything. She was acting all weird about it as well." The blonde nodded, giving a simple "ah". He shrugged, seeing no harm in sharing. She was going to be his partner for the next four years, might as well get aquintated.

"Alright then, what is it that you want to know about exactly?"

"Um, what's it like on Patch? How do you control a huge company? How do you-"

"One at a time," He laughed "Patch isn't a big island." He began, sitting cross-legged on his blanket. "It's the smaller than the City of Man In Atlas. I went to the same primary and secondary as Yang and Ruby, along with the same prep combat academy Signal."

"The people, for the most part, know each other since it's so small. They would talk about whatever news, or what they saw the other day on TV. People for the most part got along."

"The Climate was warmish. It's not as hot as Vacuo, but the summers weren't exactly kind to me." He gestured to himself, referencing his darker skin tone.

"You're not as dark as the girl with green hair in Combat class. It suits you though, I like it." The blonde blurted out the last part, her cheeks taking a pink hue.

"Thank You." He gave Alexis a small smile, ignoring the heat that rose to his cheeks. "Anyway, it's mostly OK. Though outside of the main area civilized, grimm are around everywhere." He explained. "There are certain places where grimm would actually enter the Civilized zone. They never threaten the schools or anything, but there were close calls."

"I see. What about your Parents, any siblings?" She asked, noticing how his face fell slightly.

"I'm an only child. My mom was a business Major and huntress, and my dad was a hunter and part time Grifball Player."

"Explains you're near Infatuation of the Game." Alexis joked, laughing a bit more at the mock scowl he threw.

"Hey! That hurts…" He emphasized the point by grabbing his chest in mock pain "I like other things as well!"

The blonde responded to the banter with by raising her eyebrow in mock-surprise. "Like what?"

"I like playing Video games!" he started counting off his finger "And food! And occasionally watching the UFC, and sleeping! Oh, and you!"

"Me?" Alexis asked, completely blindsided.

"Yeah! I like spending time with you."

"Right." She said as she kept herself composed "Continue on with your story then."

"Like I was saying before being RUDELY interrupted, My Mom was studying Business and my Dad wanted to be a hunter and a grifball player as well.

"How did that work?" He raised a confused eyebrow, so Alexis elaborated. "How did they meet?"

"My mom was studying business, opting for that instead of home schooling. She was the next in line to take over then-PNC. My dad was initially on a sports scholarship for Grifball, having signed with City GC II."

"My Dad met my Mom through a mutual friend in Secondary school. They would work on their school work in their library most of the time. They were inseparable, spending a lot of time together. My dad actually was the reason my mom became a Hunteress as well instead. Her parents weren't exactly pleased, but seeing as she was the only one who wasn't mooching off the bank, they allowed it."

"They both applied for Beacon and were accepted, got lucky like Ren and Nora did and were able to be paired up during their initiation. They were placed on…Was it team JWEL? Or JWAL? Anyway, they were on that team, and they were both good friends with Team STRQ. I think my dad told me that he tried to get a Team Change, but it was denied by Ozpin."

"Anyway, my mom was the leader of the team, along with my dad as her partner, and two others who and I quote "Were the biggest disappointments that I've had the displeasure of wasting my time and effort with." I don't remember much, but the other two ended up being expelled for doing something with grimm…" He tried to remember what Tai, Yang's Dad, had told him. He snapped his fingers as he remembered what it was. "Oh yeah! They brought a live Beowolf, somehow tamed it and placed it in the Staff Lounge, claiming "It was just a prank bro! It's just a prank!"

"Are you serious?" Alexis asked in disbelief….were they Cardin's parents? He nodded, grinning as he remembered the story.

"Since their Team Change Request was denied, they had to go on hunts meant for 4 people by themselves."

"That must've been brutal."

"Yeah. Qualifying for the Vytal tournament then was a pain as well. You needed to have a Team of Four to have a fair chance. 4v2 isn't exactly what I'd call 'fair'. But they won a total of 5 Tournaments, three back to back. No one's been able to do that ever since."

"Anyway, they married a few days after graduation. Summer, Ruby's mom, somehow convinced them to move to Patch. My mom took over PNC, My dad played Grifball in his spare time for City CG in Atlas and even earned a call up for the Mistralian National Team."

"Wait, your Mistrlian? Like Pyrrah?" She asked, she thought he was Atlesian with darker skin. It's uncommon, but still.

He nodded again "Si! Dad full Mistralian, Mom Half Mistralian and Half-Atlesian."

"Alright, I didn't see that coming." She conceded. "But how did you get control of the company? Surely your mom must've been doing well?" The blonde noticed how his smile fell completely.

"I was her Successor." He replied, letting it linger for a few moments. Alexis didn't understand, until it hit her like a freightliner. He noticed her features turn to one of concern. "Once my Parents had me, they could only take smaller hunts. My mom worked from home and my dad only played for City during the Champions League, retiring from the National Team. Occasionally they went on bigger hunts together, so they would leave me with Ruby and Yang's parents until they got back. That's how I met them."

"Anyway, they took a large hunt. The hunt description said it was for 2 people. Apparently there was some sort of miscommunication because someone later found out it was meant for a team of atleast 6. My parents never came back. Summer went to go look for them... She didn't comeback either." Alexis clearly took notice of the sadness in his voice, and it looked as though his eyes were a bit glassy.

"The Government handed custody to Yang's dad. He subsequently sodded off somewhere. I can't completely blame him though. He lost two loved ones and two close friends, three in the same night. Yang had to juggle Mom and big sister duties for both me and Ruby. I tried the best I could to help, you know, playing with a small Ruby while Yang cooked and sometimes taking over when she was sick."

"We went to Signal together, and the usual spiel. But in my Second Year, I was given notice that since my Mom was deceased and my Aunt, who was the Interim President at the time, was in prison. I had to take over effective as soon as I stepped foot on Atlesian soil. Fast forward 2 Years and boom, we're here."

He hadn't noticed since he was looking at the fire, but Alexis had managed to get next to him. Wordlessly she got on her knees and shuffled behind him before wrapping her arms around him. It was a bold move, but she didn't regret it. She felt the brunette relax, and even hugged her arms.

"Not that I mind in the least, but why?" He asked.

"I…guess I thought you needed a hug…" She trailed off. He simply chuckled.

"I did, and now I feel a lot better getting that off my chest. Only you and Ruby and Yang know."

"Weiss doesn't?" She looked down at the mass of black hair shake from side to side.

"She knows they're not alive anymore, but not how they died."

"I see… If you don't mind me asking how is it, running the company and all?"

"It's alright I guess. I mean…. At first, being thrust into the company hierarchy was terrifying. My mom had been teaching me small stuff about it, apart from taking Business electives at Signal. I've gotten the hang of it now.."

"Even though I knew that I was one day going to take over, I still want to be a hunter. Just like my Parents. I was taught by my dad that everyone, no matter who it is or what their social stats say, needs help one day"

He chuckled, earning a confused 'hm?'. He looked up to Alexis with a smirk. "I just remembered…When my Mom found out I wanted to be a Hunter and that I had been training while she wasn't home, she was furious at my dad. I remember laughing with Ruby as my mom went around with her weapon, yelling in Atlesian and Mistralian as she fired several times at him around. She wanted me to not become one, she even pressured him into trying to get me to go to a Grifball Academy. He knew people at City GC, so it wouldn't be difficult to get me admitted."

"And that's about me, not much else to tell that you don't already know." He finished up. He turned around to face her. "Your turn." He completed the statement with a small poke, earning a smile from his blonde partner. He moved a little bit so that she could sit down comfortably. She sat down crosslegged like him as she looked at the fire.

"My mom kinda lost her shit when she found out that our dad was going to leave her for another woman. She ended up killing him when we were toddlers. We were in an Orphanage for a few weeks before our Aunt and Uncle adopted us. They're the ones that paid for both my brother's education and my own." She explained

"My mom is doing time for the murder along with tax evasion, she's supposed to be out in like ten Years or something." She continued simply. No emotion, it was like she was simply explaining a math problem.

"It doesn't sound like you care, not to be rude or anything." Alex rested on his hands, nearly slipping as he did so.

Alexis just shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest and looking at him. "You can't miss what you never had. My uncle told me how she was abusive of my dad, using his money to buy drugs and alcohol." There was some Venom in her voice.

"Oh." He said, not knowing what to say.

"I mean, we didn't miss out on having a childhood. We did what normal kids I guessed, just without a mother." Alexis noticed a look of regret on his face, as if he was regretting bringing it up.

"It's not your fault, don't worry. My Aunt is a manager at CostFoodWinco, and my Uncle is a mechanic. He retired since he won the lottery though."

"Wait, your Uncle won the Lottery!?"

She grinned as his shocked expression. "Yup! He won the record breaker Super Jackpot. Where did you think he got the money to send us to a fancy school? You can't go to Atlesian Tier 1 on a mechanic's salary."

"Right. I mean, that was completely unexpected!"

"His reaction to winning it was like yours when you watched CG Varcelona beat Joventus in the Champions League Final. Screaming everywhere." He blushed and looked away, making her giggle. "Come on! Don't be like that!" She fell over onto his lap, noticing that he was trying (And failing) to contain the smile that was slowly making its way onto his face.

"Anyway." She slowly got back up "My brother and I both wanted to be hunters since we were small, always pretending to be heroes saving people in villages from the "Deemons!" They both burst into a fit of giggles as Alexis tried to imitate Port's speech, now an on running gag between the two.

She continued once the fit subsided "We went to the same academy and all. But I'm the only one that is still training to be a huntress." She was facing the fire and turned to face him, he had a question look.

"One day we were on our way back home, at a stop light since it was red. Someone I guess was texting or something because they ended up rear-ending us and pushing our car into the busy intersection, which then ended up being swiped by a semi."

"Oh my god."

"Yeah. I was fine, a deep cut on my leg" She showed him the scar on her leg, it was faintly visible but it was there. "And a several broken bones, apart from that I was fine. He wasn't so lucky." Alexis looked down at the fire solemnly.

"He took the brunt of the hit, and ended up with a broken back. Because of that he couldn't be a hunter anymore as well. He's healed now obviously, and is medically cleared to pursue, but at the time he couldn't so he settled on Business Administration."

"I was so gutted when I found out." She continued. "We both planned to go to Beacon, and the like. When I was crying while waiting for the Airship to Beacon, he told me "Be a hunter, for both of us. Have enough adventures for the both of us. Have fun, enough for both of us. And that's what I'm doing now."

"He told me that he bought a house now, and that he's moved my stuff to one of the bigger rooms so that our Aunt and Uncle have some space."

Alex nodded, and did the same thing she did in order to comfort her. Shuffling on his knees until he was behind her, he grabbed her in a similar hug from behind.

"You smell nice." He said without thinking.

Alexis couldn't have turned any redder at the comment.

They were like that for a few moments more until he broke it, Alexis having gotten used to his warmth unnaturally quick and missing it once it was gone. They talked about a few random things as they move onto their respective blankets and letting the fire warm them both, keeping out the chilly air.

"Goodnight Alex."

"Night Lex."

* * *

While the Blonde and Brunette where asleep in the other room, Ruby was look out and Yang, Blake and Weiss had been talking for a few minutes about what happened early. What Oobleck had asked them really was getting to them and second guessing their true intentions.

"At least you two have something that drives you." Yang explained "I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that. I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

"Well, she's still just a kid." Weiss said as she turned her head to Ruby, who hadn't noticed them talking.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids."

"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!" Yang gestured to her gauntlets.

"It's the life we chose."

"It's a job." Weiss began "We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second."

The apparently-sleeping Oobleck has a small smile when she finishes.

* * *

Alex is in the other room, having a lovely dream about his blonde partner when the sound of panicked voices and rustling weapons slowly bring him back up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked into the door way of the other room.

"Hey Weiss, it's you're... Ruby? Hey, where's Ruby?"

"What?" Professor Oobleck asked groggily in confusion. Zwei comes running into the room, barking.

Yang turns to the corgi, who clearly looks at her in distress. "Zwei?"

"What's going on?" Blake asks, Weiss already have grabbed her weapons.

Alex had heard the commotion and proceeded to get ready.

"Lex. Alexis." He gently shook her to wake her up, causing her to come to from the lovely dream she was having about her own lovely brunette haired partner.

"Hm? Alex? What's going on? Is it my turn?"

"No, Ruby's missing and were about to go find her."

Alexis rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got ready. Yang assumed that they were still asleep, surprised to find them already set to leave.

"Grab your weapons!" Oobleck stated the obvious. Zwei leads Oobleck and the others to the hole that Ruby fell into, and Yang spots Crescent Rose next to the hole.

"Ruby's scythe!"

"Oh no."

"Do you think she fell?"

Oobleck looks up at the group, specifically at Weiss "Fell?"

"Down there." The heiress pointed as she looked down the hole.

Alex carefully looks down at the hole while grabbing Crescent Rose. "I see something down there." He added.

Oobleck looks at them before looking down the hole. "Oh my. Of course! Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!"

"What is it?"

"How could I be so stupid?!" Doctor Professor Oobleck started to pace around.

Yang looks over to the self-loathing professor before looking over to Alex, who also gave her a confused shrug. "Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?"

Oobleck pushes his glasses up as he begins to speak "Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale funded by the Merlot Corporation that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!" as he pointed at Zwei, the corgi linked his finger.

"Doc, what are you saying?" Yang didn't understand why he was repeating all this.

"My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!"

"They've been working in caves?"

Oobleck continued to pace around "No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. At the time, they didn't have the funds to do it so Merlot stepped in to help. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense sent by the PNC, and unique transportation; the city and Merlot developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!"

"An underground village?" Yang had heard from several people in Vale about these types of villages.

Oobleck took a sip of his mug as he paced around the hole. "In a matter of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom ordered Merlot to officially seal off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there…" Ooblecks mug is deployed into a weapon, a small flame lighting up at the front. "…We must find her."

* * *

Author's Note: Short Chapter, Sorry. I've been doing some rearranging here and there around the characters. Nothing much really. I should point out that like i said in the first chapter, I will slowly but surely be moving away as to not crowd the main characters. They are part of my plot, just not yet. It be great if you left some feedback, I am constantly and actively changing stuff. Anyway hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Note: There is no way of Sugar Coating this, I'm sorry. Finals have come and gone, personal issues came and went. Life likes to make things harder than they have to be. But I am not dead, this story is not on Hiatus or anything. I'm just slow as hell to update. Just like Android. But, just like most Android Updates, it's here.

Without further ado, here it is...

Chapter 26

* * *

"And how are we supposed to get down there?" Weiss asked Doctor Professor Oobleck. That hole looked really deep…

"Why, a preposterous question! We jump in of course!" He sped around to her, pointing a finger at her before pointing a finger at the hole.

"What?"

"I SAID THAT WE JUMP!" He yelled into the heiress' ear.

"That's a deep fall though." Alex said as he looked down it. "I see some light though." He noticed a faint glow which meant that there had to be people.

"Well, you go first!" Yang said as she pushed the boy.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

"YANG!" The other girls screamed. He could die!

"He'll be fine! He'll kick a rock…if he's alive." Despite the gravity of the situation, seeing his partner's horror stricken face was pretty funny."

Alexis jumped, making sure that he didn't crack his head on a rock on the way down. The hole was quite deep and before she hit terminal velocity, the blonde hit the back of Duel Disk in order for it to act as a sort of anchor and slow her decent. The downside is that her arm was being pulled with it and my god was it painful.

Alexis landed on the roof of a Building, looking frantically for the Brunette CEO and sighing in relief as she found him. He was clutching his hand though.

"Are you alright?" She asked, wincing as she kneeled with her weight on her left arm and hissed in pain.

"Sort of. I just landed awkwardly." He lied, Alex knew the blonde would freak-out if he told her that he basically had to grind his watch, and therefore his wrist, against the rocks on the way down. The Air Kompressors could only help his final landing onto the roof. He felt something grind and pop inside his wrist as he twisted it around, clenching his teeth as he bent it upwards. He noticed the blonde rotating her arm. It seemed that she did the exact same thing, if the trail along the hole was anything to go by.

"Are you OK?" He asked, getting up and checking on her shoulder.

"I think so. I might have pulled something in my shoulder though. I had to grind against the back of that wall over there so I didn't go splat from how fast I was going." She explained.

He took her hand and straightened out her arm, hearing her hiss slightly. She might have pulled or tore a ligament in her shoulder. Hopefully her Aura would do something about it. He could feel something moving inside slightly.

"It might be a hyperextension. We won't know until we get back so be careful" He said as he let go.

"You too." She said, nodding towards his hand. "I doubt that your injury is any better." He gave a half nod, conceding that point to her.

They looked around where they were at. They were on the roof of a multi-story building. The pair carefully kneeled toward the edge, the blonde interlocking arms with the brunette as to not fall off the edge.

There were so many White Fang soldiers. They were coming in and out of buildings with boxes in their hands. One of them seemed to carry something huge and loaded onto the top hatch of one of the trains.

Alex saw the AP-290 2nd Generation Prototypes on the flatbed of the train, how the hell did they get those? Not even Schnee had seen these yet…

"We need to contact the others." Alexis said as she slowly backed away from the edge. Unfortunately, one of the White Fang soldiers, a female Faunus with a longer neck and antlers, had noticed the blonde.

"I've spotted humans! On top of that building!" She pointed at the building as the armed soldiers began to fire on it.

"Get Down!" He pushed Alexis back as the soldiers began firing on the building. There were so many of them, and the fact that they had close range weapons didn't help. They needed to get the others.

"Do you have some fire dust?" He asked, ready to cover them if they started throwing stuff.

"How much do you need?" She asked as she took out a small vile of the red dust.

Alex pressed and held the crown on his weapon, a second later the screen separated from the base to reveal a small tray where the dust would go.

"I just need a small bit." Alexis poured, with great concertation, the right amount of dust, filing the small tray. The Screen then returned into place and the bezel spun around completely once before vibrating.

Alex felt the device begin to heat up considerably on his wrist, not helping his injury. He got as close as he could to the opening from where they came from and aimed his arm upwards. The Crown opened and began to fire flares up the opening and hopefully to the others.

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Yang asked exasperatedly.

"Gee Yang, maybe if you didn't push him to certain death, he'd tell us why he's taking so long down there." The heiress drawled.

As the two started to bicker, Blake noticed that the opening was glowing bright. Getting closer to the edge, she noticed that something resembling flares were being shot up.

"Guys! Look." She gestured towards the opening, seeing the flares flying and lighting up the hole. It was glowing a dull red with the surrounding walls of the opening.

"That's his signal! He needs help!" Yang said and without a second thought jumped into the opening. Blake followed without second thinking. Weiss rolled her eyes as she jumped. Next

Blake was jumping from rock to rock in order to control her descent speed while Yang was wasting ammo on using Ember Celica to slow her down. Weiss was using her glyphs to slow down her descent, making sure to not waste all her Aura on them.

As they reached bottom part they could see the roofs of the buildings in the underground settlement. Weiss saw the two and began pointing her landing glyphs in that General Direction. The other two followed once they were sure that was them.

Alex had no option but to use Ruby's Crescent Rose in order to buy themselves sometime before backup arrived. He knew the Basics, bolt action and aiming down sights…The rest he was just going to rely on his video game sniping skills…

"You missed…" Rechamber and Fire "You missed again…." Rechamber and Fire "You missed again!" Alexis noted as she acted as spotter.

"I know I missed! I'm good with Automatic weapons, not these precise ones!" He responded to her criticism. He took and held his breath as he shot and hit a deer Faunus in the leg, a critical hit as a few of the soldiers had begun to back up.

The blonde swordswoman took the Sniper from him and took a shot at another Faunus, a lizard Faunus and hit him straight at the chest. First attempt.

"Lucky Shot…"

She fired again, this time at a bear Faunus that was shooting a Heavy Machine Gun at them. She hit him in the shoulder and disabled him. She smirked as she heard a huff from her left.

"Are you guys alright?" They turned to see the others running towards them, and then promptly hitting the ground as a sniper shot buzzed right passed Yang's pretty blonde head. "Jesus!"

"Yeah we're fine. Just trying to not get shot at." Alexis said, peeking over.

Yang did the same, loading new shells and cocking her gauntlets. "Alright, let's find Ruby" She said with a grin. She fired at the soldiers below, the force behind the shots from Yang and the splash damage cleared a path for them to push forward.

Jumping off the building. They kept the White Fang soldiers back as the made progress forward. Blake and Yang easily dispatched any longer range enemies while Weiss, Alex and Alexis made due with anyone at closer ranges.

"Where's Oobleck?" The brunette noticed as he looked around. Surely he jumped as well?

He jumped when he heard the Doctor Professors voice behind him. "It's Doctor Oobleck , show some respect. I just followed that subtle hints that led me to this hide out without risking injury to myself." Zwei appeared behind him and simply sat down, panting.

* * *

"Do you think that this is where they could be hiding here?" Doctor Oobleck asked Zwei, who simply barked happily and wagged his tail. They were in front of a building that had a tall red sign "NO UNDERGROUND HIDEOUT HERE"

* * *

Everyone was surprised for a second, until they noticed even more White Fang Soldiers. Yang readied her weapons again but was already a bit low on the ammo.

"Alex, any spare shells?"

"Take the rest of these." He tossed all but one of his kinetic shells, His lever action shotgun did not survive the fall and it subsequently destroyed it. As the soldiers got closer he tossed Yang a Baby Blue Shell. Better now than never… "I need you to shoot this at your feet."

Yang was taken aback, why? "Um, why?"

"Just do it. I'm without a weapon here."

She huffed before chambering the Blue round and shooting it at the ground. She was expecting some sort of Ice wall around them but instead it sort of….trickled down. It took the form of a blue ball…it resembled something akin to a Grifball….

Yang put two and two together and figured out what he was going to do but by the time she was going to stop him, he was already a few paces ahead.

"What is he doing?" Alexis asked, Weiss also turned to the blonde for an explanation.

"I could explain, but it'd honestly be easier of you'd watch for yourself." The brawler nodded to the boy

Alex kept the ball a foot in front of him as he ran at the soldiers. They all looked taken aback by the kid who was running at them with nothing but a Ball. Kicking the ball, he curved it and managed to hit the biggest soldier square to the temple and knocked him out cold. He then quickly stripped the shotgun shell of its Kinetic Red Dust and with a jerk of the wrist, the watch band quickly spread around his hand and stopped at his fingers, forming a fingerless glove.

He poured the Dust into the palm of his hand and crushed it. He then threw it on the ground and there was another ball, this time Red. The White Fang was firing at them all, but the boy ran up and was able to launch the ball towards them. He remembered to pull his body back in order to add to the curve and to elevate it a little more.

Pulling his wrist down, he detonated the Ball near some explosive barrels and caused the nearby building to collapse which took down the other soldiers and opened up another path.

"Impressive." Alexis said with crossed arms, now that isn't something you see every day. The blonde was thoroughly impressed, that meant that weapon of his isn't just some sort of flashy, expensive, piece of technology. That looked, and acted, as if that were his actual weapon.

"And that is a gooooool!" He yelled running back to the group with arms extended as he slid on his knees, ending up in front of Alexis.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Are you done?"

"Admit it, I did well."

"You damaged several building with the explosion, which was loud and probably attracted every single soldier in this God Forsaken Place."

Sure enough, several more soldiers had appeared. Of course this was not a problem as they made short work of the next wave.

As they were able to make it past the final wave of Soldiers, they ran towards the open and turned. Ruby was running at them, with Soldiers shooting at her from behind. Yang was about to shoot, but was stopped by Alex.

"Lex, could I borrow some Dust?" He asked and put out his palm.

"What kind?" She asked, taking out a few vials from her pouch.

"Red, throw in a little bit of yellow if you don't mind." Alexis poured some Red Dust into his palm, and a little bit of Yellow. He added what looked like a marble into his hand and crushed it. One strong Vibrate later, and he threw a small compacted ball in front of him that immediately expended to full size.

"Could you hurry this up?" Weiss asked, patience running thin as their leader was still being shot at.

He adjusted the position of the Compacted Dust Ball and took a few steps back. He took in a breath through his knows and exhaled through his mouth as he ran up and fired it low

"That was a terrible waste of Dust!-" Before she could complain, a raised finger stopped her. The ball was kicked low and wide to the left of the group of soldiers, but they all noticed the fact that it was curving back towards them.

Once he saw that it was close enough, he pulled his arm behind him and detonated the ball which let out a huge explosion.

Ruby jumped into Yang's arms once she was close enough to her team.

"Ruby!"

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked as she searched the girl for any signs of injuries or Abuse of any kind.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Ruby pushed Weiss' hands away "But listen! Torchwick's got all kinds of weapons and robots down there."

"What?!" Alex handed Ruby her weapon, gesturing for her to replace the mag.

Ruby replaced the magazine and chambered a round as she explained her findings "Androids, mechs, they're all loaded up on the train cars!"

"Ahhhh, that's ridiculous." Oobleck commented, adjusting his glasses "These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead-end."

Roman's voice sounded through speakers around the city. "Get to your places, we are leaving now!"

"Wait, is that-" Alex was stopped by Ruby mid question.

"Yes! That's Torchwick!"

The train starts moving towards the tunnels.

"Well, it sounds like they're going somewhere." Yang saw Several White Fang Soldiers quickly board the train.

"So, what do we do?" Weiss asked as she saw the last of the Soldiers board the train.

"I believe we only have one option..."

"We're stopping that train!" Their fearless leader exclaimed, leading the charge.

* * *

They were all able to get onto the train before it had gained speed, Oobleck had knocked out one of the lookouts and had now climbed onto the top of the moving train.

"Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!'

"Err... Professor?" She stopped Oobleck from moving forward as she opened the hatch. She had seen the White Fang loading something in.

"Doctor..." Oobleck responded, pushing up his glasses.

Weiss points down the hatch and to the item inside. "What's that?"

Oobleck kneeled down to take a look at the item in question. "That my dear... appears to be a bomb."

They all cringed away from the hatch. Ruby looked up and saw several White Fang Fighter climbing up to the top of the train.

"We've got baddies!"

"Well, I didn't expect them to go—" The bomb activates underneath them and starts beeping."—easy on us. Time to go!"

As Team RWBY start running away, Oobleck stops Blake.

Blake was stopped by Doctor Oobleck as the others began to make their way to the next cart.

"Huh? It decoupled itself!" The brute and Blonde heard as they turned back to the commotion behind them.

"What?!"

"I guess he really doesn't want us on this train."

As the detached cart slows down and is farther behind, it explodes. Creating a hole where several Grimm begin to fall in through though none of them seemed to have noticed.

"That's not good..."

Ruby and Weiss are standing near the hatch on the car they are standing on, pointing into it. "Err, neither is this!"

"Another bomb?!"

"That's not the only one!" Alex waved their attention at the cart he and his partner were standing at. There was also another bomb their.

Oobleck runs past the two and to the next car. "No. No. No." he opened the hatch and looks in, confirming his suspicions before then yelling back "They ALL have bombs"

The bomb under Team RWBY charges up and starts beeping and the cart they're on detaches itself, forcing Team RWBY to run to the next cart.

"This doesn't make sense!"

"Get the Humans!" A female Moose Faunus orders as they start their way towards the teenagers.

Team RWBY jump forward to attack the incoming White Fang members. Oobleck then turns around and watches the detached train car explode, only this time, it creates a hole allowing multiple types of Grimm to emerge.

"Oh, dear..."

The horde of Grimm begin advancing quickly toward the runaway train.

"He's leading Grimm to the city!"

Weiss turns and notices the Grimm chasing them "What?"

"It's the cars! They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!" Oobleck explained.

"That's insane!"

Another train car detaches itself.

"We have to hurry!" He looks to Weiss, Blake, and Yang "You three, go below and try to stop those bombs!" He then turns to Alex. "You, try to see if you can get into the Train Operators Car."

"What about us?" She gestured to the Blonde and herself.

"We're going to stop this train." He says, arms akimbo in a hero stance. His hero face turns into a frown as Ruby interrupts his epic pose.

"Yeah, I know. I said that earlier."

* * *

The four enter the train car below, one of the doors was suspiciously left unlocked.

"I guess this is what we trained for." The blonde said as she cracked her knuckles. The Boy nodded in agreement, cracking his own joints with a satisfying 'Pop'.

Weiss hands a customized magazine of Dust Rounds to Blake, who nods in thanks as she loads them into Gambol Shroud.

As they charge forward, a girl with Pink and Brown hair drops from the ceiling and stands in their way. She suspiciously looks like the same one that they fought underneath the Freeway some time ago…

"You guys go on ahead. This one's mine." Yang growled, her weapons extending to full size.

Blake and Weiss proceed forward, but Alex looks at her with concern.

"Go." She ordered again, this time he listens as he catches up with the others. Yang fires a round to distract her, allowing the other's to continue forward. They heard a snarl as Yang fought with the shorter girl.

They made their way to the next train car, again unlocked. Running, the three stop when they hear the sound of revving up ahead. A White Fang Lieutenant was blocking their path, and he had a larger than sold-in-stores Chainsaw.

"Go on ahead!" She told the two of them.

"Got it!"

"Understood." They both said in unison.

The Lieutenant chuckles menacingly as he holds up his chainsaw. The two Huntresses-in-training charge forward, with Blake deflecting an attack as Weiss flips backward. As he loses control of the chainsaw, Alex slide tackles the Lieutenant, throwing him into the air. Weiss then delivers multiple strikes at the Lieutenant, knocking him down. She then smiles at Blake as she and Alex Run to the next car. The Lieutenant gets back up, again chuckling menacingly.

"Finally, I get to kill a Schnee..." They heard as they ran to the Next Car.

They heard faint clanks as they got to the door to the Train Conductor Car. This one was locked.

"Damn it!" Blake growled as she tried to open the door. She punches the keypad, but no result. She did however reveal the circuitry. Pulling out several of the wires, they both heard a gear grind in the lock and Alex kicked the door hard enough to force it open.

Running to the Door to the Driver's area, Blake stops and grits her teeth when she's greeted by a familiar foe.

"Hello, kitty cat. You miss me? You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk..." Roman taunted, flipping his cane.

Blake bared her teeth and charges forward to attack, starting their brief battle. While she was doing that, Alex was trying to get into the Train Conductor's area.

"Of Course, Schnee Security." He mumbled as he tried several methods to NOT break the security lock. He turned and quickly dodged one of Blake's attacks with her Dust magazine. "Hey!" Blake didn't seem to notice. A few moments later he heard an audible "Click" and the door opened.

He ran into the room, but some of the instruments were shooting sparks as there was blood, short circuiting the exposed electronics.

"Damn." He tried what he could, accidentally pressing one of the buttons and detaching another train car.

Behind him, Blake knocks Roman down, and when he attempts to get back up, Blake steps on his chest and points her sword at his throat.

Roman chuckles despite the situation he is in "Why are we fighting? I saw you at the rally, we're on the same side and you know it..."

She simply growled at him.

"Oh, still feisty. Soooo, what are we gonna do now? You think a little bow on top is gonna make people forget who you were? What you've done...?"

As she grits her teeth at his words, resisting the urge to slice his throat, Blake and Alex hear the door to their train car open behind her. An unconscious Weiss is thrown to the floor with the Lieutenant emerging from the doorway holding his chainsaw.

"So what's it gonna be, Blake?"

She sheaths Gambol Shroud and kicks Roman in the face, knocking him unconscious. Blake then goes over to Weiss' aid, The Lieutenant about to attack and Blake ready to block but the blow never came. Looking up, she saw something bright hit The Lieutenant and sent him back several steps.

"Go. I'll cover." Was the order from the boy. Blake was about to open her mouth but the revving of the engine caught her attention. "I said GO!" He ordered again. This time Blake got up quickly and took Weiss with her, narrowly avoiding a slash from the Chainsaw.

Above them, Oobleck had ordered Alexis and Ruby to move up. Zwei looked saddened that he was going to leave his new friend. Ruby smiles as she pet the Corgi, urging him to go with the Professor

"Go."

Below them, The White Fang Lieutenant had taken the advantage. He grabbed the CEO's shirt and threw him back, his elbow hitting the keypad to the door. Alex shook his head and crawled into the room as the soldier approached him.

As he was about to slice him, the door slammed violently in front of them and blocked the Chainsaw. He sighed in relief at the near death experience, jumping as the Lieutenant Banged on the door window.

Once the banging stopped, he looked through the cracked window and saw the Strong Soldier Pick up Roman with one hand and leave the Car, leaving the boy by himself.

He tried several more things in order to slow down the train, but he noticed the distance the train was to the sealed door. At the speed they were going, they weren't going to even manage to break through. And slowing down wouldn't have been good since they were too close to the door for the brakes to even work. Which meant there was one option for it…

"I'm going to speed the train up" He pushed the throttle forward, the train gaining speed as he braced himself for imminent impact.

The remaining members of Team RWBY then reemerge from the train cars to rejoin their leader.

"Wait, where's Alex?" Ruby asked as she took a head count.

"He's down stairs fighting the White Fang Soldier with a Chainsaw." Blake Said as Weiss slowly regained consciousness.

"What?!" Alexis yelled.

Ruby the turns as a new problem arises. The train shifts slightly, causing them to jolt a bit as the train seems to be gaining speed.

The other's notice what Ruby is looking at.

"What do we do?"

Ruby and Weiss smile at each other, and the latter forms an ice shield to protect her teammates, bracing themselves for the impact. The last thing they see is a white flash as the Train Collides head on.

* * *

"Well, never thought this is how I would go out." Alex said. He pressing somethings into his weapon as the train approached the sealed walls.

He slammed is fist bottom to the floor, his weapon then glowed a bright blue as something circular engulfed him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. He didn't notice that a green circle had surrounded him, inside the circle a hexagram with lettering was slowly spinning around him.

He heard a loud crash before his vision went white.

* * *

Ruby was the last person to regain consciousness, her vision blurry as she looks around. Turning to her right, she sees Blake slowly getting up. Yang as well, coughing as the Dust entered her respitory system. Through the ringing in her ears, she faintly hears the sound of an emergency alarm blaring as her vision comes back with buildings into her vies. She turns her head again and sees Weiss sitting up against a large piece of debris, who also gives a thumbs up at her team leader signaling she's okay. A bit more to her left and she see Alexis coughing as well as she is slowly getting up as her mouth is open, and presumably groaning.

Ruby sits up, hissing in pain as she slowly rests against a large piece of concrete. Her vision stabilizes as she looks around, they seemed to be in the middle of Downtown. The other's look around as the Civilians notice them sitting on the debris. Ruby hears the sound of low rumbles and growls from behind her. A giant King Taijitu emerges from the hole, and multiple Grimm start pouring into Vale. The civilians scream as they attempt to flee the chaos. The sounds of screams and roars fill the air, and all Team RWBY can do is watch in horror. Ruby's expression changes from worried and scared to angry and determined as she slowly gets back up, extending Crescent Rose.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 27

* * *

Pain. Everywhere.

Alex groaned as he finally came to, feeling pain in every single part of his body. He could hear someone else hissing, but he couldn't be sure of it. He tried moving his arm, but his body protested and responded by creating more aches. His head was hurting and he felt as if the world was spinning violently and his ears were ringing, as if a flashbang had gone off.

After giving it a few moments he slowly opened his eyes, refocusing them as he looked around his surrounding area. He remembered where he was before he was knocked out by the crash. The roof of the conductor's area was caved in completely, the switches for various things sparking and flashing rapidly. He noticed several loose cables that were still electrical charged as they sparked. The chair for the conductor was completely ripped from its base, and it seemed that the area where the throttle was had collapsed.

He tried moving again, successfully pulling himself up. The brunette tried crawling to the exit, the door seemingly having disappeared completely. He felt a pain filled pulling sensation coming from his left leg.

He turned slowly to the source and saw that his leg was wedged between the floor and the collapsed instruments, the entire cabinet filled with now useless readings and dials and very heavy equipment deciding that his leg was the perfect place to lay on. He tried pulling again, but that only made it worse as the slight pull now wedged the edge of the cabinet near his knee, digging into the knee cap.

He looked around for something he could use to lift the heavy cabinet, at first he tried just lifting his leg, but that made it dig into his knee more. He finally found a broken piece of what looked like a pipe and wedged it underneath the cabinet, having to use his leg as a leverage to lift it up.

He grit his teeth as the metal pipe dug pressed into his thigh as it tried to lift the cabinet of flashing dials. He was able to lift it just an inch, but that was enough to get his leg free.

He dropped the pipe and clutched at his leg in pain, hissing as he tried to rub the pain away. As the pain became a dull throb, he notice how truly lucky he was to even be alive. The entire front car had basically caved in on itself, the windows having shattered and the entire front end being flattened. He checked himself for any injuries, nothing much besides his shirt now torn. Since his Tee was ruined and left at Mountain Glenn, he was just in his long sleeve. Now that had tears along the arm. His black jeans had several tears as well, including a rip were the cabinet was resting.

Because of the fact the train car has mostly caved in on itself, he had to crawl out the door way. He continued crawling to the exit, which was mostly blocked off but there was a small opening he could squeeze through. He sucked in his stomach and held his breath as he crawled through the opening, ignoring the pain from having to pass through the sharp edges of the metal from the train.

He released his breath as he successfully pulled himself out of the wreckage. The boy continued crawling out, finally reaching where the train had opened the hole into the city. Pushing several rocks out of the way, he saw that the others had gotten up. They were fighting…Grimm?

His eyes widen, remembering what the White Fang soldiers were doing. He got up to his feet, hissing in pain as he got up too quickly and strained his knee, before jogging to join the others. He could hear the others saying something, but his ears were still somewhat ringing.

"Go! Bumblebee!" Ruby gave the order for the Maneuver as the Black and Yellow themed Huntresses-in-Training dropped several Grimm instantly, giving them a few seconds of needed relief.

"Weiss, White Rose!" The heiress summoned an Orange Colored Glyph as Ruby fired twice through it, the bullets disintegrating and becoming several pieces of explosive debris that hit their targets, also dropping more Grimm.

Alexis seemed to be having more issues with her own pack. When she attacked one, another would come from another angle. Plus, she was worrying of the state of her partner.

'I hope he's alright.' Her mind was racing with possible outcomes, none of which were good.

The blonde was being outnumbered, but a Disc Shaped object whizzed past her and decapitated two of the Grimm giving her the most trouble. She dispatched the remaining two, bringing her arm in a slash down motion to cut and kill the rest before turning around.

The boy gave him a thumbs up before turning around and sending several kicks to a beowolf that tried to be sneaky, making sure to double tap and crush its skull. He flipped back, landing on his feet but he wobbled as he held his knee again as pain flared through. He nearly collapsed as his vision began to swim, but firm arms kept him from falling.

He blinked as he looked up at his savior, his vision clearing to see his blonde partner as he gave her a weak smile. His head began to throb a little.

"Hi there."

"Thank God you're alright." The blonde sighed. She looked into those Brown Orbs, noticing that they seemed glazed over. "Are you alright? You nearly fell over." She stood him upright, though ready if he collapsed.

"Nah, Immm Fine!" He slurred a little, as if he was drunk. "Come on! Lets go fight those grimm scum." He charged head first into battle, shocking the blonde by not tripping and knocking himself out in the process.

Both Alexis and Alex took over a group a Grimm that was giving Blake a harder time, since Yang had decided to use a borbatusk as a Bowling ball. They dispatched most of the Grimm with relative easy, making sure to keep them away from Team RWBY as to not cause them anymore issues.

A slash here, a kick there, a punch in this particular direction and one Aura Ball to the face later they managed to clear the small group of Grimm. The duo kept clearing the Occasional Beowolf as they tried to Regroup with Team RWBY, they had somehow ended up closer to the town square which was a mile or so away. They could here Yang's Gauntlets and Ruby's Sniper Shots.

Alexis noticed how Alex had a bump on his forehead, as well as his eyes still being slightly unfocused. He also kept shake his head, as if he was trying to dislodge something from his ear.

They arrived and saw that the girls had, for the most part, cleared the immediate area. That was until they felt the ground shake and more Grimm pour out of the hole. They all simultaneously groaned as they jumped back into the fight, wasting no time.

Blake and Ruby had pulled back, just so they can come forward and preform their Ladybug Maneuver, rounding up several of the Beowolf's heads within Blake's Gambol Shroud before Ruby cleanly executed the group, their Corpses turning to smoke before evaporating.

Yang and Weiss decided not to go with their Freezerburn Move, Weiss opting to summon a Red Glyph and let Yang fire through it.

Alex and Alexis simply did their own thing, trying not to get in the way while also adding their backup support. Alexis flipped the blade on Duel Disk and pressed the button on the handle in her left hand, letting lose Ice Dust that slowed down the group that they were both fighting. Alex threw some dust in a Disc Motion before launching it at the Slow Grimm, managing to decapitate two of them and wound the other two. The blonde finished them off by loading Purple Dust and Stabbing the Beowolf General before pressing the button. The Gravity Dust caused the General Violently into the air with its Beta before smashing and splattering into the neared wall.

"That was pretty freaking cool." She smirked as she heard Alex Compliment.

She saw him with his own Purple Ball, rolling it as he went in a circle around the Ursa Minor. He was toying with it, trying to make it charge at him. He backed up, rolling the ball with him as he created a significant distance between them. The Ursa then Charged at him without a care, not knowing the trap it fell into.

He flicked the Ball over the Ursa, moving out of the way before catching it on the Volley and Detonating in as it curved towards its head. The purple ball exploded and due to where it exploded, the Gravity Dust Ball crushed the Ursa, literally, into dust..

Alexis just watched as he celebrated the killing of the Grimm as if he was playing a game, pressing his hand over his chest as he nodded, as if he was saying "That was all me. All Skill."

"Impressive. How much for your services?" She asked with a smile and crossed arms. bringing him back to reality. His eyes looked more focused and he didn't fall.

"Many Liens." He joked back. He looked around, a few Ursi and another Major were heading their way. They got into their fighting stances, but were not expecting the Major to simply ignore them. The Beta's attacked them, distracting them as the Major went for the Group causing the most damage.

They continued to Dispatch the Ursai, Alexis tapping into her semblance in order to protect herself while reloading. Her Body Armor blocked a swipe from her blindside, pushing her back instead and protecting her from the Grimm's Claws.

Alex also began tapping into his semblance in order to cover his partner while she reloaded. The watch band stretched and covered his left hand as the entire weapon and most of his forearm and hand began to glow a bluish hue, all of his Aura being temporarily stripped as he readied himself to fire. There was a high pitched noise, his weapon winding up and ready to fire. But it never came.

Alexis turned and saw Weiss being shoved by the Major, her knee connecting with the back of Alex's head. The heiress landed a few feet away, slowly getting up as Ruby used her semblance to kill off the Major and rush to protect her partner. Alexis looked to the brunette on the ground, and quickly dispatched the Ursa giving them issues.

At First glance he looked fine, just a knee to what looked like his back. What actually happened is that Weiss couldn't fend off the Major, the Alpha Beowolf and the Borbatusk all at the same time. The Ursa Major managed to smack her with a swipe and send her flying, her knee hitting the back of Alex's head and causing him to fall ungracefully like sack of potatoes to the ground.

What caused the blonde more distress was the fact that blood had started to pool around. She quickly got next to him and began to search for the wound. Opening the hatch on top of her weapon, the blonde pulled out a gauze roll and Ice Dust in a vile, along with some cloth. She got to work, taking in deep breaths as she treated his wound, remaining calm. Panicking would only make the situation worse. Plus this was his partner, so he was depending on her Medical Skills. Her first real world scenario, on his partner and, now willing to admit, crush. Fantastic.

Still, she wasn't asking any questions except one. How did that injury bypass his Aura Protection?

While she was tending to his injury, she didn't notice that his left hand was still glowing blue. When she grabbed it to turn his body around, she felt a slight warmth as his Aura seeped to her. Alexis didn't know this, and didn't really pay attention to it as she continued to treat his injury. All the Aura that was stuck in the weapon was leaking into Alexis as it began to patch her body up. Cuts, scrapes and what not were, for the most part, gone as she finished up rolling the Gauze and cutting it.

More Grimm started to come out of the hole, but the sound of Airships with backup eased all their worries. A medical Airship also landed in the Center of the intersection.

The others went to check on the four of them. Ruby helping a somewhat tired Weiss as Yang took Alex's body and threw it over her shoulder.

Weiss was limping to the Airship as the Medical Team refused to let Ruby go with her. Weiss assured them that she would be fine before hissing in pain as she lost her balance, Ruby nearly using Crescent Rose on the Doctor Blocking her.

Yang placed the Brunette Teen onto the stretcher provided as the EMT's wheeled him into the Airship. Before it took off, one of them walked back out and complimented Alexis on the surprising good temporary patch up job.

The rest boarded the Airship, mostly tired as the fighting took a lot out of them. Alexis checked her Aura level on her weapon and did a double take. Her Aura Level was more than everyone else's combined! As if she never even fought.

She chalked it up to bad readings, the Airship riding taking forever in her mind. She needed to get to her him, to make sure he was alright.

XXX

Weiss was in her hospital room, final checks being done before should would be cleared. Who'd knew that a knee to someone's skull would create a stress fracture? Regardless, she was treated and was only told not to put too much pressure on her right leg for a few weeks at most. Ruby had been nervously pacing around, worried for both her partner and friend. As the Doctor told her specific instructions on her medication and treatment, Ruby was by her side and paying close attention.

"Don't worry Doc! I'll make sure Weiss doesn't overexert herself!" She chirped happily. Weiss just rolled her eyes, but the medication they had given her to ease the pain had made her a bit drowsy so she didn't say anything.

That was a few days ago. About 3 to be exact. Now Team RWBY was in the Medical Wing again, this time for Alex.

What Alex had done on the train was basically speed it up in the hopes that it would have enough speed to crash through the sealed door. It worked, but he couldn't get out. The little barrier he out around himself was partly made from his own Aura. Had he done it a second too late, he would have been killed.

Already damaged by the Accident, it took a lot out of him to fight with against the Grimm that had invaded the City. Despite that, he was doing well. That was until a knee cracked the side of his temple just as he began to transfer some Aura to his weapon.

Because of the older parts in his weapon, all the older wiring and circuitry and what not, the way he activated his semblance and the way that his Watch would accept the Aura is one that he was already planning to fix once he upgraded it again. When he taps into his semblance and begins to transfer Aura to his weapon, there is a brief period in which his Aura is disabled. The reason for this is due to the way his weapon handles his semblance being used. Instead of sapping what it needs, it takes all of it and the excess is returned to him. The whole process is around 5 seconds.

Unfortunately, when Weiss came flying over and knocked him out was the same time he was using his semblance.

He was lucky to escape with the injury only and not permanent brain damage or even vegetation. He'd cracked his head when he was knocked out and fell ungracefully to the ground. That wasn't the only injury though.

When Yang had pushed him down the hole in Mountain Glenn, he had to expand the clasp of his weapon and use that to grind down to a decent speed and land on a building. It was agony as it extended his wrist beyond what it would normally. The doctor's diagnosis was a ruptured tendon and several torn ligaments. They were surgically repaired, but he still hadn't woken up.

Despite the fact that the doctors were optimistic he would wake up within a few days, Alexis was still mortified that he wouldn't. The others had been able to convince her to go to class, but after they would be over she was here. Yang crudely joked she could have beaten Ruby in a race to get here.

Weiss and Blake had come by to visit and make sure she was taking care of herself, Weiss having scolded her for not eating the entire day. Blake was much more composed in her explaining that what she was doing was not healthy, and that he would be mad and upset at her for neglecting her own health.

Ruby came by after her Leadership class as well, Ms. Goodwitch obviously had seen what state Alex had been in. She would talk to Alexis as well, hoping to get her to get some rest. At one point they had to forcefully drag the blonde to their dorm to get proper rest.

Despite the fact that they had been partners for a short time, the Blonde had taken an interest in the brunette. Those feelings accelerated quickly, maybe too quickly, into more than friendly feelings. She wasn't certain that he felt exactly the same way, but she had hope if any of their close encounters were anything to go by. She would've known sooner, had there been no interruptions.

When she saw his head hit the pavement, she winced but thought he would be fine for the most part. That was until she saw the blood literally pooling around his head.

She did remember what happened after, quickly dispatching her Grimm and running over to his limp body. His wrist was also swollen and discolored and his watch was completely out of commission. The screen was cracked and several pieces of said glass had fallen out, the delicate internals were open to the elements and the crown was missing. The bezel had been chipped in several places, the mechanism that made it spin was exposed and grinding as it tried to move. The strap seemed fine for the most part though. The black finish had been scraped off to reveal the underlying brushed aluminum silver.

He was taken into the ICU in order to stop the bleeding while tending to his wound. During that time she was panicking, her mind conjuring up the worst case scenarios as he went into surgery. A stray cut into his brain, a misguided staple to the temple. Tendons in his wrist being cut because the surgeons hand slipped. All these and much worse images kept running through her head.

Once the Doctors had allowed them to Visit Weiss and Alex, they took little time in getting there. Ruby was mostly by Weiss side the whole time while the others sat around her. Alexis spent most of her time sitting next to the brunette. She brushed his hair away whenever it would fall in front of his forehead and would play with his hand. She checked on his weapon, which was handed to her when they arrived to the Medical Wing. As much as she would like to repair it for him, she didn't have the knowledge to deal with fragile electronics. Besides, her own weapon was in a bad way anyway. The Weapon Maintenance wing was under renovation and it wouldn't be a few days until they could use it.

"Maybe when he wakes up we can go together." She mumbled to herself.

She sighed sadly. She was hoping to be in her new dorm with him by now. Already moved in and settled. She hadn't seen it, denying the option to when she returned. The swordswoman was in her own world, jumping and facing the door when she heard a knock.

"Hellooo~" Yang sang as she walked over. Alexis gave her a small smile.

"Hey Yang." Her voice was a bit dry. She hadn't eaten anything or drank anything today.

Yang's smile faded. Grabbing a water bottle, she handed it to her fellow blonde. "You know, he would be fuming if he found out what you're doing."

"I know, it's just that-"A hand cut her off.

"I get it, you're scared he might never wake up. Believe me, I know. I've heard Ruby tossing and turning a few nights ago. I don't know why you guys are overreacted, it's not like he suffered a Spinal Injury" She grabbed a chair and sat down near her.

The room was quiet, except for the beeping of the Heart Beat Sensors. She looked up at the unconscious CEO. Yang chuckled. "You know, I didn't expect him to leave." A confused noise from his partner allowed for an explanation. "I knew about the company, I just didn't think he'd have to leave so soon. Like, I knew he would. It's just he wasn't ready, you know? He was taking Business Class electives, but they don't prepare you for that.."

"Why did he leave? Couldn't he have just stayed?" Alexis asked. Yang shook her head.

"The Economy is already bad enough, with the SDC holding basically a monopoly over Dust and then you have all their moral issues as well, competition is better. PNC, I mean PNA, is the sole reason most people can afford Dust. The research into Artificial Dust as well as Venture into other areas, due in part because of him I assume, has given them a hand in at least trying to stagnate the SDC's plan for eventual domination."

Alexis raised an eyebrow. Yang was not someone you would expect to know about this kind of stuff. Neither was she to be fair, but this didn't sound like something Yang would think off.

Yang must have figured out the jig was up. "Weiss told me. Ruby managed to puppy dog face her to spill the beans about their hookup." Yang used that word in order to rile Alexis up, and it worked. She saw the blonde grit her teeth for a second. "I don't know how Papa Schnee didn't know he was already running the Corp, but if he never did find out I'm sure the Ice Princess and Rich boy over here would have tied the knot. Luckily he did find out and the rest is history."

Alexis leaned back, nodding. They were silent for a few minutes, only the beeping of the monitors checking on him. When his heart monitor started to beep slower, she nearly hit the Nurse Button. Yang just laughed quietly to herself. Alexis has it bad…

"You know, I kinda knew he was into Blondes." She said, laughing again when Alexis turned and faced her with a fierce red tint on her features.

Alexis crossed her arms and turned away, mainly to hide said blush. "Oh, har har. And how, pray tell, do you know?"

"Call it an Intuition." She said, leaving it at that.

Another brief silence washed over the room. Yang sighed deciding now was a good time to tell her. "Listen Lex, I know we haven't known each other for more than a few months now, but you do seem to have feelings for him. And he does for you as well, I can tell." Alexis tried to play it off with a raised eyebrow, but Yang saw right through it. "Don't give me that bull, you know damn well he likes you as much if not more than you do him. And Honestly, I am happy for him."

"Why? I mean, not that I'm not, but-"

"He didn't have many friends back at Signal." She started, drinking some of her own water. "When we first started school, we stuck as a unit. Playing during recess and lunch, etc. As we went through the grades, I gained some friends of my own. Ruby…she had a bit more trouble. She didn't have the exuberance she has now or the Self-esteem. Alex usually hung out with her. Ruby did finally make friends of her own as well, something that I still thank every deity to exist. I was partially afraid she would go insane and make love to her weapon." They both laughed at the image of Ruby and Crescent Rose getting married. The laughter quickly died down, letting Yang continue;

"Alex… he didn't have the same luck we did. He wasn't bullied or anything, I'd have already scared them off when we were younger anyway. It's just that… It's just that he never was able to talk to anyone, partly because he was always busy with those Business classes I mentioned. Another large part is the fact that he doesn't seem to trust many people."

"I find that hard to believe." Alexis started. Yang raised an eyebrow. "Blake?"

"He doesn't trust her, at least not yet. That little incident a while ago doesn't help. He talks to her on occasion yes, mainly for a note or two. The reason he even does so is because of me. Since I talk to her and hangout with her, he knows it's safe. He tends to avoid Weiss because despite Ruby being close to her as a partner, I don't exactly know why though."

"I see."

Another silence.

"I owe him a lot." She changed topic but still kept it on him. "He's done what many fathers can't." She mentally added 'I should know.'

Alexis nodded, turning to face her. She knew about their shared passed, bits and pieces that Yang and Ruby have revealed and what he told her the night before the Train Crash.

"I assume he told you a bit?" The blonde across from her nodded. "See? He trusts you already, in such a short time frame as well. Anyway, he helped me care for Ruby. Luckily the house and bills were taken care of. But someone still had to gather wood for the fire, entertain Ruby when I was cooking and help her with her studies while I did the groceries. She even picked up a bit of Mistralian, though don't ask her for translation."

"When I went looking for my own Mom, he was the one to do the cooking, cleaning and caring of Ruby. He denies it, and if you ask him he'll say I did it, but he did have a major part to fill too. He may not show it, but if anyone ever tried to lay a finger on Ruby, that person would regret doing so later on. And he's seems to be showing you the same type of treatment."

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked.

"Your initiation, he put his life on the line on the plan, albeit a stupid one, for you to escape. He was always trying to outpace you and trying to get in front of you during our fight with Torchwick. I know that he's tried to put on a hero complex. It looked familiar

He trusts you Alexis, so much so that he would risk his own life for yours. I would normally say that knowing each other for only the time you have that would be insane and blind, but he seems to know what he's doing."

Alexis was silent as she turned back to the boy on the bed. Her thoughts running rampant after this confession-on-his-behalf. Yang's voice snapped her attention back to the blonde.

"Once you decide to act on those feelings, I just ask 2 things of you. Not as a friend, but an older sister. I know we aren't related, but we grew up in the same house. First is just to have a little patience with him, sometimes he likes to make things more difficult than they have to be. And don't let him hide stuff from you. He will get an attitude but eventually will spill. He tends to hide injuries, among other things."

"Why?" Alexis asked, would he have done the same in this situation? "That's dangerous not only to him but to others as well."

"Which is why I'm asking you to make sure he doesn't'..."

The two blondes looked back at the topic of the conversation before looking back at each other.

"He doesn't want to be seen as a burden." Yang explained.

"Being injured isn't being a burden, it's just getting injured. It happens in our line of work."

"I know, Ruby's tried to explain it to him as well."

"He didn't just get that idea out of the blue." The swordswoman said "Something must've happened."

"You're observant." Yang mused before sighing. "Yeah, something did happen.

When we were at Signal, we teamed up to do a mission. It was to get some stupid tree sap from some a specific set of trees inside a small forest. Anyway, we had to go farther into the area than we were supposed to because we couldn't find any stupid trees. We encountered some Beowolves, nothing too difficult. We went further and found some more, but we weren't expecting the Wolf Major to show up. He had these huge claws and threw borbatusks at us. Literally.

He was able to cover us while we tried to kill it. He was doing a damn good job too, being able to either push them away from us or 'catch' them and kill them. We nearly had it too, but another beowolf had shown up behind us. From the footage we watched, it was a Fifty-Fifty on who it was going for, me or Ruby since it didn't seem to notice him.

He took a gamble and tried to use the Borbatusk that the Major threw to hit the beowolf. It nearly hit Ruby too, luckily she batted it away with Crescent Rose. We cleaned up, with a few cuts and scratches but I saw what Alex had done. I confronted him about it and he explained the situation to me to the best of his ability. Trying to talk to me despite the fact my semblance was active was risky and it didn't pay off. When I saw him not dive for that small Borbatusk I thought that he had missed it, but when he had told me that he did it purposely I just tuned the rest of his explanation out and snapped at him." The brawler explained.

"I swore so much that it would have even made a sailor cringe, and just to add salt to his injuries, I basically called him a failure, degenerate and that he's been a burden on us since he started living with us." Alexis could see red seeping through Violet in anger, at herself.

"Ever since then he keeps to himself, whenever he gets excited by something he wants to tell someone but he just doesn't say anything."

Alexis Nodded, looking back at the boy. He looked at peace. He took his left hand in her, interlocking their fingers as he ran her thumb across the top of his hand. She felt a few small scars, cuts from dealing with machinery or from battle. Hers were similar. A few nicks, cuts and scars as well.

"I'll leave you for a bit. And please get something to eat. He is going to throw a fit if he finds out what you've been doing to yourself. You two are hunters, and this is probably not the last time we'll be visiting the medical wing. It's part of our job. We knew what we signed up for when we got here." That was the last thing she said before closing the door.

The blonde turned back to her partner. She smiled before getting up, stretching her body as her muscles complained about the lack of physical activity. Popping and cracking.

Her stomach had decided that this was enough and growled loudly in protest to the lack of nourishment. Taking out her scroll, she fired a quick text at Yang to grab something to eat.

Shoving her scroll into her pocket, she leaned closer to the boy. She felt him breath in and out.

"Please, wake up soon." She whispered, placing a kiss to his forehead. She blushed as she realized what she just did, but couldn't stop the smile that etched her features. Clearing her throat, she looked around to make sure no one had seen and made her way out the door. She tried but failed to contain that small smile on her face.

XXX

"Headmaster Ozpin." Glynda said as she walked out the elevator, folder in hand. "I just received this from the Medical Wing." She extended the folder to him.

Taking the folder and opening it on his desk, the Headmaster looked over the pictures that he requested.

Patient Legal Name: Rojo, Jay Alexander

DOB: 17th, July 20XX

Address: 1887 Infinty Loop West, Manchester Atlas

International Identification Number: 071159380935

He read through the drawl, acknowledging the Blanks in the Parent column. He kept reading, skimming through until he saw the results of the tests he had asked for, behind Team RWBY and his partner's back.

Test Number: 935115117

Test Result:

Exposure to Orichalcos Material: Positive.

That was slightly worrying. Taking another sip of his cup, he read through the other notes.

Weapon Scan Test:

Orichalcos Material/Weapon Detection: Confirmed.

He looked at the pictures taken of the weapon. To the naked eye it looked like a normal smartwatch that you could buy from the Pear Store or something. It was round, had a screen and a single button that was also the crown. But through his extensive sources he was able to acquire a copy of the weapon schematics.

The body was protected by an exoskeletal layer of reinforced titanium that would ensure the survival of the main body even in the most extreme circumstances. Inside was what you would expect from a device such as that, fragile electronic components such as the motherboard, memory chips, etc. That was protected by anti-static padding around the inside. The screen had an opening mechanism that allowed for it to lift up and away from the body in order to reveal the fragile heart, the processor and co-processor. It would only be exposed for a split second as a dust filter would cover it immediately. That was where the dust was loaded.

The strap was thicker than most watches as it also contained a type of solidified liquid metal that is controlled by co-processor and would spread like metal around his hand before becoming solid, acting like a type of glove. In the palm of the glove was a small circle where the dust would either be dispelled or molded by the onboard computer, reading through wavelengths and bone conduction what the user wanted the dust to be molded into. The user would crush the dust in his or her hand and then throw it in front of them and in a few seconds the Dust would turn into what the users asked for.

Dust manipulation is an art that many know, but few master. It seemed that this was a way that could bypass the entire learning process and just manipulate it at will.

He looked over the weapon pictures, the last one grabbing his attention. It was the weapon before the exo skeleton was put on. The main body frame was a Molex Air Superiority Wrist Watch, a very expensive and one of a kind Wristwatch. Each picture on the paper he held described the process in order to strip the working internals and shove the tiny computer into it, before building the exoskeleton layer.

Ozpin simply sipped his mug, he knew that the boy couldn't acquire one of these from just anywhere. Despite the fact he runs a large scale company. Ozpin already knew where that specific one had come from, so he simply sipped from his mug and let out a small 'hm'.

* * *

A/N: So it's been a year since I decided to start this. And I think that I should give my opinion on this so far.

At first, when I started it(The OG's will remember). It seemed like a good idea. However the way I wrote it was...bad. So I scrapped that idea and went with something more sensible. I've gone back several times to re-write the previous chapters to erase the evidence of the previous idea since looking back at it, it really is cringe worthy. I'm also trying to fix up the chapters so that they make more sense and don't seem rushed in both the sense of how it was written and time frame within the story.

Coming up with Weapons for my Characters was difficult, The watch weapon that doesn't have a name yet isn't because I haven't come up with one, but because it isn't the final version that he will use. Just like how Apple tests multiple prototype iPhones before choosing the best one to release to the public. I have a name, and once the updated version is in the story the name will be revealed.

Their semblances were a bitch to come up with, and it could change in the future since I and many others still don't exactly understand how semblances are determined and what limits their are to a semblance. At trying to get their weapons to work perfectly with their semblances...that aint happening. Nothing can work perfectly.

As for the Characters themselves, I am trying to make them so they aren't dependent on each other. That they can hold their own. But also I am trying to make them so that they aren't OP. That is a big gripe not just in the RWBY Fic Community, but in general. I understand that people don't want a Character to be a Mary Sue or Gary Stu. The perfect everything, get all the girls or boys, look like fucking Jesus crafted them, a sex god, etc. Like, what is the point of writing an OC that is literally God? Same for the plot, though I admit that I fell into the trap of Tragic past, etc. But I couldn't come up with anything on the fly and plus its not like I'll refer to the past very often.

I understand that not everyone will like it. You can't please everyone. And while the first chapter usually is a make or break on whether people continue to read it, some people read past the sometimes shoddy intro and actually like the rest. I won't lie, the first few chapters are indeed shoddy and I will go back and fix them so they aren't as cringy to read. It's part of improvement.

For those that have followed and Favorited, thank you. You gave this a chance, went past that cringy first few chapters and read this far. Some of you are OG's as well, that did read the first attempt at the first 5 chapters. And for that I again cannot thank you enough. Hopefully you stay to the end, and while it is a ways off I plan to get there.

As an added incentive... There will be smut... LOTS OF SEXY TIMES. And many kinks... Just giving you guys a heads up. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 28

End of First Sequence.

* * *

The blonde had grabbed something to eat with the rest of Team RWBY. They joked around lightly, a bit a Weiss' expense but she took it surprisingly well. It seemed the she was being a little more lenient, even allowing Ruby to hug her. Everyone looked at each other before looking back, surprised that the Heiress allowed their hyperactive leader to do such a thing. They didn't say anything though, not wanting to ruin the Moment.

Weiss and Ruby decided to go to the City. Ruby disguised it as an 'Order', but Weiss didn't seem to mind. It even looked like she smiled, if just so, at the idea.

Yang and Blake were in the dorm, no doubt that Blake is reading a book while Yang tried to distract her from doing so. Though again, Blake didn't seem to mind allowing the boisterous blonde to join her.

The food sat well inside the Blonde Swordswoman, the location for their outing served her favorite food. She didn't know how hungry she actually was until her order arrived, even asking for seconds.

Team scattered to their own places for their own adventures, Alexis opting to return to the hospital wing and check on the Brunette.

Walking into the Medical Wing, the smell of disinfectant instantly hit her. She wrinkled her nose at the sheer power of the smell. She continued onwards, but was cut off by several nurses and a doctor who were ran past her.

'Dr. Oum! His heart's stopped!" one of the nurses yelled, nearly colliding with the Blonde Teen..

"Damn it! Get the crash cart!" the Doctor Ordered, running to the room.

Alexis was panicking. Hoping that the doctor and nurses would keep going past the next hallway, as that was were Alex's room was located. Her wish was not granted though, the Doctor and Nurses turning left, towards his room.

Alexis blew into a sprint, trailing behind the doctors. Her heart was pounding, the injury must've been more severe than she had thought. She saw the room from where she was at, memorizing the fact it was 4 doors before the next intersection of halls. She was prepared to barge into the room, ready to question the diagnosis and everything.

That was until they ran past his door and continued down the hall before making a right, into the Intensive Care Unit.

The blonde sighed in relief. Her heart still pounding in her chest, adrenaline racing through her body as she slowed to walking pace. She was thankful that no one else was here. Arriving at the door, she opened it slowly in order to not disturb the occupant.

The room was mostly dark, with the lights from the various equipment monitoring him. She flicked a switch, casting the room with light as the darkness disappeared. She saw her partner still on the bed, though in a different position. His head having tilted the opposite direction from when she last left him. She grabbed a chair and moved it closer to him, taking a seat near the bed. Since the swordswoman knew she would be here until visiting hours were over she decided to entertain herself. By grabbing his left hand and just playing with it.

She casually inspected his left hand. She saw small nicks and cuts here and there on the top of his hand. His caramel skin tone showing the scars as darker spots. The knuckle on his index had a small scar, Yang had told her that was when he cut himself making his weapon. Apparently it's legal to let Teenagers work with Advanced CNC equipment without proper supervision.

His middle finger seemed a little crooked, it looked as if it had been dislocated long ago and left to heal. Maybe a miss-timed punch or diving and landing awkwardly. Her curiosity got the better of her and she began to imagine what he looked like as a younger child…And what trouble he got into.

Shaking her head slightly to get out of that headspace, she continued casually playing with it, though jumped a bit when it moved. She looked up and noticed that he had begun to come to, the hand that she was playing with suddenly disappeared and stretched with his arm to the heavens. The boy let out a groan as his body stretched for the first time in days. The blonde heard muscles and bones pop.

Alex let out a yawn, his eyelids opening to reveal Chocolate brown orbs that had been hidden for, at least in Alexis' opinion, way too long. He looked around for a few seconds before noticing a blonde head of hair. Looking down, he saw Alexis staring intently back at him. They made eye contact for several seconds before his mouth turn upward into a smile, the blonde did the only thing she wanted to do at that moment and reciprocated the smile.

"Hey." His voice sounded hoarse. He cleared his throat, but that didn't do much. Alexis brought him a bottle of water that was on the desk. He took it and downed the bottle immediately, clearing his throat again.

"Ah, that felt so good. Thanks Lex." He said as he threw the crumpled bottle into the bin. She was pleased to see that the injury was severe or anything, and smiled at the name.

"No Problem, how are you feeling?" She asked him, hoping that he would want to leave the Medical Wing soon.

"I feel as if I haven't done anything but lay in bed for about 3 or so days, I'm hungry and I have a minor headache. But other than that, I'm fine."

"Well, Weiss did knee your head in. To be fair it wasn't her fault though, she got outnumbered."

"Right." He stretched out his body, arching his back and stretching his legs fully underneath the sheets. "Oh god that felt nice." He said as he held the stretch, before curling instantly in pain. He gave a yelp in pain, causing the blonde to panic.

"Alex! What's wrong, what happened? Should I get a nurse?"

He shook his head as he rubbed the back of his leg furiously to try and rub the pain away. "Gah, it's a Charley Horse. " The pain slowly started to subside as the muscle in his leg contracted.

"Are you sure you OK?" Alexis asked, her voice filled with concern. "I have experience in the Medical Field, I can help."

"Really?" Alex asked her as he rubbed his leg again "Then why were you panicking?" He had teasing smile as Alexis flushed, remember her reaction of panic.

"Because, I thought that it was something more severe! How was I supposed to know it was just a leg cramp?"

"Because I clutched my leg in pain? And because I said it was a Charley Horse?"

The blonde just huffed and crossed her arms, pouting and looking away from the brunette.

Alex smiled, seeing Alexis for the first time in a few days was a sight for even the sorest of eyes. Even more so when she was the first thing that he woke up to. And especially after the dreams he had while he was out. They weren't nightmares or those weird "Wet Dreams" Yang talked about, but they were still pleasant dreams nonetheless. And all of them involved his blonde partner.

One of the dreams was them in some Alternate Universe, instead of fighting people with weapons and stuff they would use these weird things on their arms to place cards that had monsters drawn on them. The monsters would come to life and you could tell it to attack and stuff. In his dream the attended an academy, similar to this one in fact, that had this weird card game as part of the curriculum. They were the top of their class and it was cool and all.

He was dragged out of his flashback by snapping fingers. "Hey? You ok? Are you sure that knee to the head didn't do anything?"

"Nah, just remembering something I dreamt about." He shrugged, this piqued her curiosity again.

"Oh? And what was the dream about?"

"You know, I don't remember." He said as he laid back down, giving the blonde another teasing smile.

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever."

Alex smiled and looked over his partner. His smile disappeared as he saw that she had what looked like bags underneath her eyes. And the fact her Hair didn't have that dark shine that her Dishwater Blonde Hair would usually carry. It even looked like she was wearing her uniform for the past three or so days!

"Lex, you look like you haven't slept in days! What happened? Did something happen?" He asked, clearly concerned for her wellbeing.

She was touched by his concern. "I've gotten some sleep, but sleeping in the chair isn't exactly comfy." looking away anywhere but in his direction.

His face was one of confusion. "Wait, why did you sleep in the chair?" He thought it over for a few more seconds before it dawned on him. "Hold up, have you been sleeping here the past few days?" A nod was his answer. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just did." She lied.

"Lex, I know when you're lying." He didn't actually know. But if running a company has taught him anything it's that if you think that they're bluffing, try and call them out on it. Finally, something he learned from the company actually being used in a practical scenario!

"Fine. I've slept here because you've been in here. I didn't want to leave." She relented as she gave her explanation.

"Alexis." His voice this time carried a more serious tone, one she hadn't heard him use before. "You sacrificing your health was not worth it. I would've rather woken up alone and known that you were sound asleep in our new room than you losing sleep just to stay by my side."

Yang did tell her that he wouldn't be happy.

"As soon as the staff lets me out of this bed, I am going to make sure you get sleep time you spent here back. I will personally see to it."

Alexis rolled her eyes. He was out for three days after a knee to the cranium, and yet he worries about the fact she lost a few hours of sleep.

He continued to lecture her, sounding almost like a male replica of Weiss when scolding Ruby as he continued on his rant about the importance of her health. He made it sound as if it was a crime against humanity that she lost sleep. It even sounded as if there was an under tone of…romance…in his voice the way he explained the negative effects the lack of sleep would possible have on her. He repeated several words that stood out as romantic.

She was a flattered the way he was scolding her, something you can't say often.

"Alright Alex. I'm sorry. When we move to our room I'll get some rest."

"I thought you moved in already?" He asked looking around for the Controller to the bed to call a nurse.

"I haven't even told the other yet. I was kinda waiting for you to wake up."

He hummed and gave a nod as he finally found what he was looking for. Pressing the big red button, a nurse showed up a few moments later.

"Oh good, your awake. You were out for quite some time. You friend stayed here throughout the time you were unconscious." The nurse explained. Alexis' body betrayed her as her cheeks gained a slight pinkish tint.

"Really?" He asked, acting as if he was just getting this information.

"Yup, she really seems to care for you." The nurse tested his blood pressure. "A few other girls actually had to drag her out the day you were moved because she didn't want to leave." The nurse continued explaining, as if Alexis wasn't here at all.

Alex smiled as the nurse told the story of when Team RWBY Dragged Alexis away, by force, back to their dorm for some rest, and how she somehow was already waiting to be allowed in when visiting hours began. He felt something warm inside, the same warmth he felt several times throughout his time here. It was the same warmth he felt back in the Emerald Forest, specifically when he was laying down and gazing at the stars, and his vision always traced back to Alexis. The same warmth he felt when his head resting on the blondes lap as he faked napped and Alexis played with his hair. He nearly actually fell asleep because of her doing that.

He didn't know what it meant, but whatever it was he wanted more of it. Maybe talking to Yang would help.

The nurse did some other minor tests, her stories about Alexis slowly running out as she changed the subject to something else. Alexis simply watched as the tests were done, her cheeks slowly returning to normal after they proudly displayed the prominent blush from the embarrassing stories.

A doctor came in and did a few tests as well before filling out some papers.

"Alright Mr Rojo, you seem to be in good health though your aura is lower than we expected. I'm sure it's because it's finishing up fixing up any other injuries you had suffered." He said as he wrote down a few notes.

"That's good, could you tell me when I'm allowed to leave?" He asked, hoping he could leave right now,

"You should be cleared to leave by tomorrow morning."

He sighed as he fell back onto the pillow. His right hand covering his face as he groaned into it in disappointment. He jerked his left hand slightly when he felt a hand over his. He looked over to the owner of the appendage. Alexis was rubbing his hand softly, trying to soothe him by running her thumb over the top of his hand.

"Mr. Rojo we need to run a few tests to see if you suffered any long lasting damage from an unprotected impact to the cranium, they will take a few hours." The doctor explained as he wrote somethings on his clipboard.

"Alright I guess." He shrugged. He turned toward the blonde, her hand had stop moving and was simply on top of his.

"Are you going to stay here and wait or are you going to go to the dorm and come back tomorrow?" He asked her as he flipped his hand over and took it, squeezing lightly.

"Um..." She bit her lip contemplating what to do. She didn't want to be here by herself, lest the dreaded loud mouth nurse tell him more embarrassing stories. Plus, the others could show up and drag her again.

But she also wanted to be here when he came back.

She contemplated her options, the boy watching curiously as the doctor was readying to take him to the lab.

"I'll stay. I'll find a way to entertain myself while I wait." She nodded with resolute.

Alex gave her a sincere smile, he was secretly hoping she would stay. He didn't to be bored by himself here.

"Really?" He asked, making sure she wasn't lying.

She nodded again. "Of course." Alexis could see that he was grateful, his eyes said it all.

"Alright Mr. Rojo, the room is over here…" He wheeled the bed-ridden brunette towards the Lab, which wasn't too far from where his room was at.

Waving at the brunette, Alexis looked around the now empty room. Devoid of its bed, the creepiness of the room intensified with all the medical equipment and the lack of a bed. Without it, it would resemble some kind of medical experimentation cell.

The blonde shook her head to red herself of those thoughts and took a seat near a small table, resting her arms on it as she lowered her head on her arms. She felt her eyelids begin to droop slowly as her body slowly succumbed to the sleep she had deprived herself by staying at Alex's side.

* * *

"Alright Mr. Rojo, from the tests and notes I have here, I am pleased to tell you that you are in good health and you will be cleared for physical activity as soon as you sign yourself out." The doctor explained to the boy as he shut down the machines and tapped some stuff on his scroll tablet.

"Good. That's good. Though would you be able to write me a note to exempt me from Sparring for a few weeks?" He joked slightly, hoping maybe the doctor would actually do it and let him just sleep during the class. Not that watching people spar was boring, it's just that they aren't that entertaining to watch when most of them do the same thing do and just defend, occasionally going on the offense…

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Glynda would have my head if I wrote you a note and she asked for proof." The Doctor explained, adjusting his glasses. "She nearly had it when I had to exempt Ms. Adel for 2 weeks after an Incident with some weird grimm."

"What happened?"

"Her team were sent on their yearly solo field mission. No Professors were with them. Though they watched through the cameras. They got lost and traveled too deep into the Emerald Forest, passing the Safe Zone for students. They encountered several unique types of Grimm that are only found in the forest." He explained as he placed some files into a manila folder, stamped with "CLASSIFIED" clearly in red.

The Folder piqued the boy's curiosity, usually medical documents aren't treated like that.

"Anyway, when they starting heading back, Ms. Adel's team encountered a pack of Grimm and had to dispatch them in order for them to get a clear extraction. During the fight, one of the Grimms limbs had been cut off and I don't know the details from here, but long story short Ms. Adel ended up swallowing some Grimm Blood."

Alex cringed, that's disgusting.

"She described the taste as Burning copper, smoldering brimstone, blood, death and hellfire as well as the taste of your hopes, dreams and aspirations slowly melting into pain and suffering. Though I'm sure she added that last part for added effect."

"Damn, that must've sucked." He said, listening but his eyes still on the manila folder that was on the Doctor's Desk.

"It did. If someone does swallow Grimm Blood, the correct procedure would be to perform the Heimlich maneuver and trying to get the person to throw up the blood they swallowed. Then you have to mix water and a tiny bit of fire dust and drink it. The dust will react with the Grimm blood and will begin to make it into a type of bile substance that will trigger the gag reflex. The person will then throw up most of the blood and what remains will be able to pass through the body as normal, though as a solid. It might burn when it takes the exit." The doctor explained.

Alex was…disgusted to say the least. "Um. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind if I ever see someone voluntarily drink blood from grimm."

"You can never be too prepared for any type of situation. Sometimes a remedy won't be found on the internet so it pays to be prepared." The doctor heard a loud crash outside and peaked through the door. "Excuse me for a moment."

As he stepped out of the room and closed the door, Alex got up and grabbed the manila folder.

The paperwork was just a physical copy of his medical files. There was a little post it note at the top that said "Please update medical record."

The boy whipped his head around at the sound of the door opening, the doctor yelling something at someone as he closed it.

"Well then tell him that wouldn't have happened if he used bigger ones!" He closed the door completely as he sighed. He never understood why teenagers never heed the advice of "Get one that fits you." Now he had to deal with two students who are now scared that they messed up their lived…

The doctor noticed the brunette with the manila folder in his hands. "Ah I forgot to give this to the head nurse. She's going to update your medical record with this. Our digital assistant is down again, so we have to do this by hand. You would imagine the SDC would actually care to keep their Medical Partners happy by actually having a decent working server and assistant that doesn't crash every 10 minutes." He ranted as he took the folder.

Alex walked back to his bed as the doctor cleaned the room, still ranting about the SDC's inefficiency and incompetence with this type of software.

"Honestly, once our contract is done we are moving to PNA. We never had an issue with them. It wasn't until we were told to cut costs this happened." He continued on as he wheeled the boy out the room and back towards his room, dropping the manila folder to the head nurse for her to update his record.

The doctor finished his tirade once they arrived to the room he'd be staying in for one more night.

"Alright, tomorrow you'll be able to sign yourself out. Though we will need a signature confirmation from your partner as well."

Alex nodded as the doctor walked out, closing the door. He sighed, his first day awake in three days and he gets tested on fantastic.

He looked around to entertain himself, at first thinking that Alexis had second thoughts and left out of boredom. He was a little sad, but honestly not surprised. Many would do the same thing. Funny, he agreed with the Doctor. For an Academy that costs so much to the students, you would think that the medical wing would at least have rooms with TV's in them.

A slight snore caught his attention as he turned to the source of the noise. He smiled as he noticed that Alexis had fallen asleep, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her hair acting like a curtain and covering parts of her face.

He smiled as he watched her sleep, her body had finally betrayed her and now she was sleeping.

Alex heard the sound of mumbling but dismissed it as nothing. Though the next time was clearly audible.

'I'd love to, Alex.'

The brunette in question gave her a questioning look. "Is she dreaming about me?" He asked allowed to no one in particular. He waited quietly, hoping to catch the blonde say something to confirm his suspicions.

Instead of that happening, Alexis started to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted to the sight of blonde hair, her own hair. The swordswoman lifted her head slowly and stretched her arms and legs, the position she slept in wasn't exactly the most comfortable. Relief was the first thing she felt as her arms and legs loosened up from being in a tight position for so long without moving.

Her mind then went to the dream she was having. She smiled as she remembered most of it, both she and Alex were on a casual date, opting to go sightseeing at a zoo and finishing off going to a Grifball match in Downtown Vale. Though this was different to most dreams she's had. It felt like a…Precognition was it? A Precognitive dream.

As she cracked her neck, she noticed that the bed had returned. Even better though, the occupant was also here laying in that bed.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty."

"Hey, how long was I out for?" She asked somewhat groggily, her mind trying to come back online.

"I mean, its' 5 to 5 right now. And I left at around 2 so it depends when you fell asleep."

"Not too long after you left."

"So then around 3ish hours."

The blonde nodded. She got up, feeling very clearly that her butt had fallen asleep from the lack of padding on the chair.

"What did the doctor tell you?" She asked as she walked around to get some feeling back.

"I'm fine, and besides the fact I now have to wear a Rugby helmet to hide the soft spot on my head, I should be able to continue training as a hunter." He mentioned offhandidly, trying to freak her out.

It worked, very well in fact. "What?!" She marched over to him and began inspecting his head closely for any signs of a soft spot. "Where is it?"

"Um, I was joking." He said awkwardly. He expecting some minor freak-out, not a full body inspection.

"Oh." She said as she backed away, a blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks for the concern though." He said, not hiding the fact that his own cheeks had a slight pink hue. Though it was less prominent because of his skin tone.

The awkwardness slowly died away as the blonde opted to sit at the leg of the bed, which had much better padding for her butt to sit on comfortably. Alex didn't mind in the slightest.

They talked about what had happened while he was out, Alex making sure to give Alexis a hard time about her worries towards himself. Though he made sure that Alexis knew he was joking.

While they talked, Alexis would occasionally start playing with the boy's hand. It just interested her, like a moth to a flame.

Before they knew it, visiting time was done and Alexis had to leave. She grabbed her stuff and before she left, grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. The boy gave her a smile as he waved at her.

* * *

The blonde slept easily that night, and it was made even better by the fact that her dream seemed to actually continue from where she left off when she woke up, as if the dream was left on pause for her to return and continue it.

She was the first to shower and just overall get ready. By the time she was out the room, Blake had already finished her own shower and was reading a book while waiting for the others to wake up.

The raven haired girl smiled slightly as the blonde did last minute checks to make sure she had everything.

"You know, if Yang was in the hospital I would find a way to stay there with her past visiting hours."

"What have you two been up to while I've been gone?"

Blake shrugged as she placed a bookmark and closed the book, placing it next to her as she sat up "Nothing out of the ordinary. We've just been hanging out more. Yang was worried about how bad his injuries were. So I distracted her by spending some time with her."

The blonde nodded as she looked to the bed above Blake's. That would explain why the two were closer than usual and a little touchier during dinner yesterday.

"I'll let them know that you'll be in class."

Alexis nodded and thanked her as she closed the door.

"That was... really out of the ordinary for Blake. She's usually reserved. Maybe spending time with Yang did that?" She wondered to herself aloud. She adjusted her bag so it was more comfortable to carry with the extra weight.

The reason her bag was heavier was because she had taken his uniform and his under garments for him to change into.

She arrived at the Medical wing and the person who greeted her opened the door for her.

She made her way to his room and was she got there knocked on the door. She didn't want to walk in on him on the off chance he could be naked.

She blushed at the mental image, but her mind returned when he heard a voice on the other side

"It's open."

She opened the door and walked inside, making sure to lock the door as she closed it.

The boy's eyes lit up as Alexis closed the doors. Not a bad way to start the morning he reckoned.

"Hey Lex, sleep well?"

She gave him a smile that to him, could rival the sun in its brightness.

"Hey. And I did, thank you for asking."

"Did you actually sleep though?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

Alexis rolled her eyes. Though she did admit that it was sincerely touching that he cared for her wellbeing.

"Yes Dad, I slept. And I had a very nice dream about you as well." Her eyes widened, she hadn't meant for that last part to slip.

"Really?" he asked with a childlike curiosity "What did we do?"

She was thankful that he asked about that instead.

"You know, I don't remember" she teased, remembering yesterday.

"Oh ha ha. Fine, it's not like I wanted to know anyway." he pouted.

"Oh stop acting like that." She opened her bag and took out the neatly folded clothing.

"You brought me my clothes?"

"Yeah." she said as she quickly dropped him his underwear, not being able to keep the blush off her cheeks.

He gave her a, in her opinion. A million dollar smile that told her how grateful he is.

"Thanks Lex, I'll remember to pay you back for doing this."

"It's fine-"

"Nope, you took the time to neatly fold and bring me my clothing. I'm sure I can do something to return the favor." He said as he removed his blanket and got up "I already showered so I'm just going to get changed real quick so could you...um…could you..." he blushed as he made the hand gesture for 'Turn Around'

"Oh, um yeah. Sorry" she turned around, this time not turning back and giving him some decency.

"Alright, I'm changed." he said after about two minutes. The blonde turned around and saw that he was just finishing up tying his shoes.

He pressed the button for the nurse, and a few moments later one showed up with a clipboard in hand.

"OK Mr. Rojo, I need a signature from you here-" she pointed and where he needed to sign and he did so. "And Ms. Blau's signature here." Alexis also signed. She revised the paper work before nodding "Alright, you are all set. Hopefully you won't need to come back for anything severe." she said as she walked out.

"I'll say. That bed isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world."

"Alright, if we speed walk fast enough, we might be able to make it to our first class on ti-" A finger to her lips silenced her planning.

"We aren't going to classes today." He said as he removed his finger from her lips.

"What?" The blonde asked in disbelief.

"You heard me. We are going to take a break from classes and use that time to move to our new dorm!"

"We don't even have the access keycard."

He grabbed something from the table top and showed it to her. "I In fact do have the keycard for our room. And since your scroll is the key to their room. After we finish moving and setting up and settle in, you are going to get more rest."

"Alex, I'm-" An unfortunate yawn betrayed her before she could make an argument. "Fine."

"Nope. Don't believe it." He said as he shook his head, his jet black hair moving side to side. "Let me see your scroll real quick."

"Uh…sure." She handed him her scroll, confused at why he needed it.

"You have the picture Yang took of us as your wallpaper?" He asked curiously as he tapped on the message icon, quickly sending out a message to Yang and to Weiss."

"Are you going through my pictures?!"

"I just sent Weiss and Yang a text. Asking them if they could let us copy their notes. And no, I wasn't. I can't just not see it, it's the wallpaper."

"Sure. That's what they all say." She teased as she took back her scroll. It vibrated, the button flashing Yellow. It was from Yang. "Yang said that I should be in class rather than spending time with…" She cut off the very last part of that sentence. God Damn it Yang.

"With Me?"

"Sure." She said, dismissing the topic. "Anyway, let's get a move on. The others are going to be surprised when they notice that our beds aren't going to be there anymore."

"Yup, and surprised by the fact that we get an upperclassman dorm right next to them."

XXX

The journey was shorter as they talked about stuff. Alex took out the access card to the dorm, opening the room to see what they would be working with.

"Wow." Alexis whispered. "Its bigger than ours right now."

The blonde was right, this dorm was significantly larger than the room they were currently in.

Overall the room had more real estate. As they walked around, they saw that the dorm could pass for a large studio apartment were it not for the fact that it was built inside an Academy for students who were training to fight monsters.

The room had two bathrooms, both were exactly the same. They both had a shower-bathtub combo, a toilet and a sick. The only difference was the placement of the toilet paper.

"So are we going to have our own bathroom?" Alex asked as he checked the sink for any leaks or any issues.

"Hm." she wondered. While having their own bathrooms would be cool, it would just be more work to clean up. Besides, who knows about the future...

"I think we should share the bathroom, we could use the other one for emergencies or something."

"I was thinking the same thing. Plus it's going to be easier to clean one bathroom than two." he said as he slammed the cabinet shut.

Walking out of the bathroom, they walked over to the kitchen. The kitchen was in the corner of the room. Walking into the dorm to the left.

The kitchen itself was no bigger than one you would find in an apartment. It had a few cabinets for storage, a sink (which was again, inspected for any leaks or damage), a four set stove, a microwave, toaster and finally a decently sized refrigerator.

"Wow. Not bad." Alexis looked around, checking the cupboards for anything. There were pots and pans and most of the stuff you need to cook something with.

"Sinks fine." Alex said as he slammed the door shut.

"At least we know have a third option when it comes to food." Alexis joked. They wouldn't be able to actually use the kitchen much because they don't have any ingredients. And buy ingredients cost money she didn't have at the moment. She was lucky to have gotten accept to Beacon on full ride scholarship thanks to a recommendation by one of her Professor in Atlas.

"Yeah. Too bad there isn't anything right now. I'll have to stop by the shops to pick up some ingredients. You think the student store has some?" he asked the blonde as he checked the stove.

"Maybe. Wait, how are you going to buy ingredients? You don't have...money…" she trailed off as she remembered who he is and what he does.

"Just because PNA makes only two hundred million less lien against the SDC doesn't mean I'm dirt poor Alexis." he said, sounding a little offended.

"I didn't mean it like that! I just forgot that you run a multi-billion dollar company is all..." she pouted.

"Hey, I was joking. Don't pout." he said as he walked over to her. She continued to pout, though she didn't actually mean it. He thought of ways to get her to stop, smiling as one prominent idea came to mind.

He began to click his tongue. He remember his mother used to do this to him and subsequently he did it to Ruby to stop pouting.

It started working, the blonde was trying her hardest to keep her frown but he was making it hard. She eventually caved in, not being able to stop herself from smiling as he gave a little fist pump at the success of his plan.

She shook her head, with a smile on her lips. "You're such a dork."

He just shrugged. "But I made you smile, so it's ok." he said as he checked the fridge. "Alright, we can fit quite a bit of stuff in the fridge. So, how about we start moving our stuff here, then I'll see if we can go to Vale and buy some groceries. You grab our clothes and bring them to the closet and I'll start bringing the mattresses-" this time a feminine finger was pressed on his lips to stop his planning.

"Nope, the doctor clearly said that you aren't to do any strenuous activity. So you are going to bring our clothes and put them away while I move the mattresses."

"But-" he said despite the finger still pressed on his lips.

"No buts. And if I see you moving anything heavy there will be consequences, understand?" she gave a glare to cement her point.

"Yes ma'am" he said in disappointment.

"Good."

They spent the next few hours moving into their dorm, and since classes were still in session no one passed by the halls to ask.

Alex finished organizing their causal, school uniform and their combat outfits. And since the closet had more space, that meant he could finally hang his 'Kits.' He would were one of them during the last match of the BCON Tournament Group Stage.

Alexis brought both mattresses within a half hour. Twenty minutes of which was spent trying to remove the mattresses from the frame. The blonde did allow Alex to help move the frame itself as it was very, very heavy and she didn't want to slide it on its side.

It was then that she noticed that apparently the frames had some sort of connector built in, which looked like you could put two of these types of beds together side by side and lock the mechanism in order to make one large bed.

The brunette boy brought in the rest of their stuff while Alexis struggled to install the mattresses back into their wooden frames. With some weird sounds, cursing and relenting to asking Alex for help she finished putting together the beds.

Alex had brought his laptop, her scroll and the necessary cables for their electronics, as well as the remnants of his watch. He'd going to need that when he builds the next upgraded and hopefully the last version of his weapon.

While Alex made the final trips to pick up the last things from Team RWBY's room, Pyrrah was walking towards her teams' dorm. Her last class was canceled, Professor Woodward having caught a nasty case of the flu. She noticed the boy walking out of the dorm and stopped him.

"Hello Alex." she greeted with a wave.

"Hmmp Prmmph." he dropped the box from his mouth and tried again. "Hey Pyrrah, your back early."

"Professor Woodward caught the flu, so we were allowed to leave early. Ren and Nora are walking around while Jaune is outside Professor Port's class, waiting for Weiss." She said with a hint of sadness. That sadness turned to curiosity when she noticed that he was carrying boxes from Team RWBY's dorm. "Um, what are you doing with those boxes?"

"Moving!"

"Why?"

"Ozpin said we were cramping their dorm, se he offered to move us to a dorm that was conveniently open and even more conveniently right next door." he explained.

"Really? How generous of him."

"Yup. Pretty spacious too."

"Well, do you mind if I see?" she asked, it's not like she had anything to do.

"Sure." he said as he opened the door to the room, letting Pyrrah in first. "Lex, we have a visitor!" he yelled.

A head of blonde hair peaked from the kitchen. "Hi Pyrrah."

"Hello! Wow." she looked in clear surprise. It was bigger than JNPR's dorm. "It's really big."

"Yup. Pretty cool right?"

"I'll say. So this where you'll be staying at?"

"Yup, unless there is some kind of freak dragon Grimm that destroys the school." he joked.

"You two are pretty lucky, the others are going to be quite jealous."

"Yup, in fact I know that Yang will convince Ruby to use her Leader powers to allow them to hangout here or something, as payment for allowing us to stay with them for the past few months. I'm willing to bet twenty."

"Which is why I am not going to bet, because I know that's exactly what she's going to do." the blonde walked out of the kitchen and grabbed her scroll.

That reminded Pyrrah of something "Oh, I forgot!" she rushed out of the room and opened her own dorm and returned as fast as she left with a box. "This came for you the day after you guys left for your mission" she explained as she handed the brown box to the boy.

"Thank You for holding It." he said as placed the boxes on the counter.

Alexis scroll beeped and vibrated, taking it out she saw that she had a message from Yang. "It's from Yang, she said that they're going to be back at the dorm in about 15 minutes with the rest of JNPR."

Alex then got a mischievous idea for a prank they could pull. Their stuff wasn't in their room anymore so they would be curious. "You guys want to help me pull a prank on them?"

Alexis smiled. "Sure."

He turned to Pyrrah. "You want to be a part of it? You don't have to."

"It's no problem.

"Alright, so here's the deal. Pyrrah, try and meetup with the others before they get here. All you have to do is; if they ask whether or not you've seen us, tell them no." he checked Alexis scroll. "They're near the court yard. So meet up with them near the entrance to the dormitory building."

Pyrrah nodded and went to work. "Don't forget to close you door!" Alex reminded her, seeing JNPR's door open. She quickly closed and locked it before walking back.

He then turned to the blonde. "Alright Lex, I need you to right a note. Make something up about your student visa being denied and thus you were deported or something. I am going to right one saying that since I don't have a partner, I can't attend Beacon so I had to leave back to Atlas."

"Why do I have to be the one getting deported?" she whined.

"Ugh, fine you child" he said, ignoring the indignant 'hey!' "Fine, I'll write that something big happened at the Company and I had to leave, your note will have the insufficient people thing. Good?" she nodded.

"Alright, let's do it."

* * *

"Ugh, I hate professor peach. She always gets mad if we don't know the answer." Yang groaned.

"She's not bad." Blake and Weiss agreed.

"Yeah, too bad she's isn't here often."

JN_R were walking behind them, busy with their own conversation when they spotted Pyrrah walking on the other side.

"Pyrrah!" Nora Yelled, waving her arms to get the red heads attention.

"Hello! I was just about to look for you guys."

"Nora took me around the school twice." Ren explained as Nora nodded her head. "Jaune was waiting for Weiss."

"I was not. I was just… Admiring Professor Peach's door."

"Sure you were." Nora said as she rolled her eyes.

"Pyrrah, have you seen Alexis and Alex? She was supposed to pick him up from the medical wing but she hasn't said anything." Yang asked as she checked her scroll for the time.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't." she lied, remembering the plan.

"Oh." Ruby said dejectedly, worrying about the extension to her team.

"I'm sure they're fine Ruby." Weiss patted her back. Though she didn't notice the look she was getting a look from Yang. "I'm sure they can take care of themselves.

The teams arrived to their respective dorms, talking about the days past events. Pyrrah made sure to go into the room last to see RWBY's reaction.

"Um, Guys?" Ruby said as she clearly noticed that something was off.

The girls stood in awe as they noticed the gap where two beds used to be.

"Looks like the left a note." Weiss picked up the piece of paper, the handwriting was neat so the heiress deduced that it was from Alexis.

"Here's another one." Yang picked up the note, it was somewhat sloppy but still legible. Vintage Alex.

Yang began to read it.

* * *

"Dear Girls, unfortunately a major economic crash is about to happen so I have been ordered to return to Atlas in order to guide the company through the economic hurricane. I have been told that this could last a long time and so I've had to unfortunately withdraw from attending Beacon Academy. I will miss you all"

-Alexander Rojo, President of the PNA and the Project Corporation.

* * *

Weiss decided that this was good time to read Alexis' note.

* * *

"Dear RWBY, due to the problems that Alex is having with his company, I have been informed by Beacon Staff that since I no longer have a partner, and the fact that Beacon is no longer accepting students until the end of the Year, I have been ordered to leave Beacon. I will miss the Adventures we had and the fun times we shared. Hopefully one day we'll meet again."

-Alexis Blau.

* * *

Ruby looked like she was going to cry, while Yang crumpled up the piece of paper. She didn't feel when the paper turned into ash in her hands.

"He said he wouldn't leave again." Ruby mumbled as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Weiss really, really wanted to comfort the scythewielder, but she chickened out at the last Second.

"I swear that when I find him I'm gonna-"

"You're gonna what Yang?" A familiar voice taunted from the door way.

Everyone turned around to see Alex standing in the door way, face serious with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed. His partner was leaning on him, her head on his shoulder as she smirked. His masochistic side was rubbing off on her a little.

"Alex! Alexis! You came back!" Ruby tapped into her semblance and crashed into him as she tightly hugged him."

"I never left...oh god I can't breathe." he wheezed as Ruby let go. Both she and Alexis helped him to his feet. He was have expecting Yang to punch him the way she was threating him, but was surprised when she gave him a gentle hug... Followed swiftly by a Smack to the back of the head.

"What was that for? Did you forget that I have a bad injury?" he said as he rubbed his head tenderly.

"You had us worried! Where have you been? And where has you bed gone?" she asked.

"I mean, I can tell you... but I'd rather show you." he said as he gestured for the others to follow.

Alexis unlocked the door and gestured with open arms, their new dorm. "Ta-da!"

"Wow." Yang said. Blake whistled, clearly impressed.

"So this is your new room." Weiss asked as she walked around, noticing that they had infinitely more closet space than her team did.

"Yup. Ruby was the first to know about it since she was there the day we were summoned. But she hadn't seen it yet."

Ruby was in the kitchen, clearly disappointed by the lack of sugary treats with chocolate chips in them. "Where are the cookies? So much room for things! Yet no Cookies!"

"Ruby!" Weiss scolded her. "Behave. They just finished moving in. Besides, it's not like they are going to use the kitchen or anything. I'm pretty sure they can't cook."

"Excuse You!" Alex sounded offended. "I happen to be a very good cook, thank you very much."

"It's true!" Ruby backed him up, with Yang nodding in agreement as well.

"Then why haven't you cooked anything?" Weiss challenged.

"On what? Yang's semblance?"

"You could've asked the cafeteria stuff to let you use their stuff."

The boy wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ew, that's unsanitary and frankly disgusting."

"Pfft, I knew it." Yang pumped her fist. "The company has made you soft!"

"It has not, I can still fight thank you very much."

"The old Alex wouldn't care if the equipment is unsanitary or 'disgusting' he would just cook and make good food." she taunted him.

"Whatever."

"So wait, why did you move?" Blake asked, having returned from christening the bathroom.

"Ozpin said that the dorms were only meant for a maximum of 4 people due to something about a safety hazard. So he gave us this room which happened to be right next door to you guys." he explained.

"At least I can have that space back. Do you know how hard it is to avoid stubbing your toe when your bed is that close?" Yang complained. "Besides, I know you don't like it when I stub my toe." she added, confusing everyone but him.

She smirked and crossed her arms as he glared at her with a prominent blush and confusing everyone. .

"Um, what does she mean- Weiss began, but was stopped by the embarrassed boy.

"Nothing." the boy dismissed quickly. "Anyway, yeah. This is our new dorm. Any questions?"

"Does this mean that you're gonna cook for us?" Ruby asked on her teams behalf. Apart from Tuna Tuesdays, which was Blake's favorite, none of them really liked the cafeteria food. It wasn't that it was bad per se, it's was just... Bland.

"Um, Yeah... for me and her." he gestured to Alexis, who was still stuck wondering what Yang's comment from a few moments ago meant.

"What about the rest of us?"

"You guys are going to expect me to make different food every day for each of you. That takes time and effort that I'd rather waste on my ass playing video games." He explained. "With Alexis, only have to deal with one person since my food is Microwavable Nuggets and Fries."

"Which isn't a healthy diet." Weiss chimed in.

"We can do a weekly or biweekly thing IF I'm not busy and aren't dead tired."

"That sounds good I guess. But just because you guys have your own room doesn't mean that you aren't going to train with us still, you two still need to work on your partner moves and what not." Ruby said.

"Weiss is really rubbing off on you Ruby..." Yang muttered, ignoring the glare Weiss was giving her.

"Alright, that seems fair. Just send us a text whenever you set up a training day."

"I'll put Weiss in charge of handling that." She said as she and the others walked out of the room, waving goodbye. "We'll see you guys later" Yang was the last to step out the door, but not before winking at Alexis.

The blonde knew what that meant. It was just the two of them, in a large room...

"So." He asked. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't really feel like going to buy food today." Alexis said as she rubbed her eyes.

Alex then remembered that she needed to rest. "That's fine. Because for you, it's time for bed." he said as he pulled her pants and shirt she uses as her pajamas from the closet.

"Come on Alex!" she said as she yawned again. "I'm not even tired!"

"That's not what your body is saying." he said.

Alexis was going to protest, but her eyes were feeling a lot heavier and the bed did seem to call for her.

She relented and started to change while Alex was busy opening the small boxes Pyrrah delivered.

Alex was opening the box, not wanting to evade Alexis' privacy while she changed. Though he was a little curious...

Opening the box revealed two smaller boxes. One of which had the clear markings of a new scroll.

'That's for Alexis' he thought as he put that to the side.

The other box had no markings except a logo that was two dots on the left, three in the middle and two dots a little lower than the previous. He couldn't be bothered to open them today. Besides, he had other more important things to attend to.

"Lex? You done?"

"Yeah." she yawned again. She had actually been done for a few minutes and had been busy simply watching Alex open the box.

Alexis thought he would extract revenge for her peeking when he was stripping in the emerald forest. (Yang had blabbed and told him) and would have expected him to do the same.

'If it's him though...I don't think I would mind much...' she thought

"Well-" he clapped his hands, looking at the two beds. "Which one is yours because I have literally no idea."

Alexis did, since she was the one that put it together. The one she was sitting on was his, and the other one was hers.

"This one is mine." she told him.

"Alright, then time for bed." he said. She noticed that his gaze wasn't exactly on her eyes. It looked like he was trying to look at the floor, but he was doing a good job at hiding it.

As she rolled into bed, she caught a glimpse of him staring at the foot of the bed, but her mind was already kind of out of it. So she just chalked it up us nothing.

The blonde tool a deep breath and sighed. The mattress, despite the fact that it was moved and what not, was still slightly warm. She could feel where his body would lay normally. She could also faintly smell his scent on the sheets. (Which were also his.) With all this, her body was quickly falling to the exhaustion. Until she heard footsteps that was.

She peaked up slightly and saw that Alex was walking somewhere. "Alex?" she asked groggily.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. I'm just going to change into something comfortable. "he said as he tossed his clothes and threw them onto the bed. "Lex, get some rest. I'll be here."

She nodded, that seemed to ease her. "OK, goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight Lex." he smiled as he saw her fall asleep. He changed into his own sleepwear.. He tossed her clothes into the hamper and did the same with his uniform.

He sat in the chair near the desk and opened his laptop, and went to work.

By the time he finished reading reports, another video call with the current person in charge of day to day operations (And a good friend of his.) and having to sign new contracts with landlords for his new Service, it was already ten.

His eyes were sore from having to look at something so bright for so long without breaks, he decided to call it a day himself. He brushed his teeth and tidied himself up for bed.

He walked past his blonde partner, who was snoring lightly and wrapped in the blanket like a burrito. A small smile graced his lips.

He got into his own bed, it felt weird though. There was already some kind of warmth, as if someone had slept in it already. There was also a feminine scent that smelled familiar, but his mind was already relishing both it and the warmth.

He fell asleep quickly, taking a deep inhale and nuzzling himself into the pillow and sheets.

* * *

Author's Note: As the beginning mentioned, this is the end of the first "Part" or "Arc" or whatever you want to call it. I wanted to give it a cooler name, unfortunately for me the word will always be linked to that horror movie with centipedes (DO NOT LOOK IT UP IF YOU HAVEN'T, save your Virgin Eyes.)

Anyway, I already have the next chapter written and all I have to do is make some final adjustments. So expect that SoonTM.

Regardless, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully it entertained your glorious faces!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Mid-Sequence Break

* * *

It was about 9:45 in the morning when the blonde came to first. She felt great, that was one of the best sleeps she's had in almost Year. Taking in a deep breath, she knew why. She smiled as she stretched her muscles, the tight limbs loosening up as she stretched her arms and legs.

The blonde turned to the other bed, but she noticed that the occupant was missing. Her thoughts were halted as she smelled eggs, coffee and the distinct smell of bacon strips. Straining her ears, she could also hear a voice speaking in something not English.

She got up as quietly as she could and went to the only place that smell could come from. Walking closer, the voice appeared to be _singing._ She could also here the faint background music, but Alexis noticed that it was only an instrumental version. Which meant no one was singing except the person in the kitchen.

She peered over through the opening and saw who and what was creating smell of food and singing.

The Brunette boy, her partner, was cooking breakfast. Well, it looked like he had mostly finished as he was putting the pots and pans in the sink and was washing them, while at the same time singing and dancing to the music. He didn't know that he had an audience that was watching, and enjoying his little show. It sounded like the song was finishing up, so Alexis left her hiding spot and walked into the doorway, getting quite the view. It seemed that he didn't change or anything, seeing as he was also in his night attire.

Once the song did its trumpet solo and drifted into silence, Alexis started clapping. Alex turned around, startled by the fact that he apparently had an audience. He stopped his scroll from changing to the next song as he turned around, with a look of mortification.

"Oh, hey Lex!" He said as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "How did you sleep?" He said as he tried to change the subject before it could even be touched.

"I slept well, in fact I thing that was the best sleep I've had all year." She said as she tilted her head so it rested against the frame, her arms were still crossed and she had a smile.

"Good, that's good." He said as he avoided her gaze. The last thing he needed was for the blonde to tease him about it. She'd probably tell everyone that he does this….He was hoping the ground would swallow him up and spit him back in the middle of the ocean right now.

"I knew you could sing, I heard you in the bathroom a few weeks back." She jabbed her thumb back towards the wall, where Team RWBY's dorm lay. "Weiss confirmed for me as well, but I didn't know you could dance."

"I mean, I can't actually dance." He mumbled as he continued avoiding her gaze, his cheeks taking on a pink tinge at the compliment. Alexis shook her head, her smile never leaving. He wouldn't be saying that if he got the view she got.

She couldn't keep the smile off her face, finally catching Alex doing something…What was the word she was looking for?

Adorable. Yup, that's the one.

"When did you go to the store?" She asked as she checked the fridge. It was stockpiled with food and drinks, including a dedicated section that was full of orange soft drinks. The freezer was similarly stocked with stuff as well. Meats, Frozen Veggies, Ice and even Ice Cream! "And why didn't you wait for me?"

"Your scroll woke me up. You forgot to change the Alarm." He said as he placed the pots and pans in the cupboards. "And I didn't wake you because you looked peaceful and because I didn't think that you had enough rest, so I let you sleep in."

"And what time did the alarm ring?"

"7:30. I was able to change quickly and get onto the 7:35 Ship to the City. I bought Food, this little boom box thing here." He nodded his head towards it as he leaned against the counter. "And the TV over there." He nodded towards the TV, which looked like it had been mounted by a professional.

"And how much did everything Cost." She said as she eyed the food. Alex chuckled as she handed her a plate and her cup of coffee.

"Here." He added her two sugars before handing it two her. She took a seat on the Small Island "The Food was ¤300, plus the little boom box which is ¤250 and the TV which cost ¤550. So around ¤1250 after taxes and what not." He finished.

Alexis just gaped at him. He had just spent nearly ¤1500 and wasn't fazed at all. She shook her head, eyes still wide as she eyed her food.

She took a bite of the eggs and her taste buds exploded, flavor dripping into every pour and cranny of her being. Taking a bite of the bacon, her mouth was awash with pure pleasure at how perfectly it was cooked. It was as if the flavor gods had blessed her with this meal in front of her. She took one sip of the coffee, and her mouth reacted as if she was being given liquid that would grant her the afterlife. All Alexis could think about when she was eating this.

Ruby was right, he does know how to cook.

It wasn't like she didn't know how to cook, but if they compared cooking she would hands down lose.

"This is delicious!" She said, talking with her mouth full. She couldn't help it though, she had to tell him.

"Thanks." He said as he ate his own food, and taking drinks of his juice.

"Does this mean that you're going to cook us lunch and dinner? If because if it's anything like breakfast then I can't wait."

"I don't think I'll have time to make lunch, but I can make dinner. I could invite the rest of Team RWBY and JNPR as well. Do you think they'd like pasta?"

"I doubt they'll mind, but why can't you make lunch? It's Saturday." She said. As far as she knew neither of them had anything to do and there were obviously no classes today.

"I stopped by the Weapons Manufacturing and Refurbishing Wing and reserved the entire afternoon for us." He explained, finishing his food and patiently waiting her to finish.

"The entire afternoon? How? I thought that you could only reserve a max two hour time slot?" She asked, savoring the last bites of eggs and bacon.

He nodded to his scroll. "I have ways. They aren't exactly in the 'Green' and are 'Frowned Upon' but I got there first so…" He trailed off.

The blonde nodded in understanding, today was shaping up to be a great day already. She finished off the bacon and her coffee, licking her lips and resisting licking her plate. "Alex, that was delicious. Thank You. Now I'm kind of glad you told the others no."

"Anytime. Especially for you." He mumbled the last part quietly, hoping she didn't hear.

The blonde smiled. She did hear him, but kept quiet. Looks like Yang was right after all.

During Dinner two days ago, Yang had made a point in explaining to her fellow blonde friend that Alex did in fact reciprocate the Alexis' feelings. She specifically told her to pay attention to the little details. How he would mumble something when Alexis praised him. Or how close they were in proximity when walking together. Or how whenever there was a group conversation, he would be more attentive towards her.

There were a lot more things that Yang pointed out, but Alexis got the point. Now the blonde no longer had to be afraid of being embarrassed if she misread his feelings, because all the points Yang made were valid ones. Alex did indeed have feelings for her. All she had to do now was make the first move.

Usually, when two people have feelings for each other like a school crush, or situation like this, the boy would make the move. However, Yang had explained that he grew up rather secluded from the popular crowd. Similarly to Blake, he tended to avoid being in crowds with people and often tried avoiding talking to people who looked like they would cause a ruckus. She even joked that he might have Autism, in the form of Asperger's. That "joke" earned her a hard smack in the back of the head by both Blake and Ruby.

Instead of partying or hanging out with friends, he would go to the empty field during lunch at Signal. He would practice with a Grifball, learning to dribble and juggling and other skills that were difficult to learn.

Apart from Yang and Ruby, Alex only had one other friend at signal according to Yang. The blonde had forgotten the description, but Yang told her that it was a She, and the she had Blue hair and Brown eyes. And often would be the person who would play with him in the field.

Because of this lack of social interaction, and the fact that Yang didn't know to what extent Atlas had changed that, the brawler went off on what she had seen growing up.

So Alexis was almost certain of this; Alex is harboring feelings for her.

And the blonde had just figured out how to get him to actually come out with those feelings. But it wasn't going to be easy.

She was going to need the help of a fellow blonde.

Grabbing her scroll from the bedside table, she fired off a text to Yang.

* * *

Alexis: Yang, you awake?

Yang: Yup, kinda hard to sleep when Ruby constantly blows that whistle in the damn morning.

Alexis: Ha, I don't have to suffer that anymore.

Yang: Because your too busy waking up and getting eaten out by Richboy ;).

Alexis' face turned redder than Ruby's cape. God Damnit Yang this was serious!

Yang: LMAO, get your head outta the gutter.

Alexis: Says the person that mentioned.

Yang: I said that to Weiss and Ruby, I nearly lost my arm.

Alexis: What? Why?

Yang: Because it was funny seeing their reactions. And because those two are in LITERALLY THE SAME SITUATION AS YOU AND ALEX ARE AND ITS PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF.

Yang: Like, you don't understand. It's not like this is some anime and the main protagonist is too cool to see the obvious hints. They've both dropped hints for each other, Weiss' let her guard down around her. I am two steps from shoving them into a closet for a few hours and letting them sort it out. And I am one step away from doing that with you and the boy if you don't get this sorted out. It's like watching a horrible love movie or show. Or even worse, reading a Fanfict.

Alexis was surprised that Yang wrote out an entire rant, she usually just Rants in person whenever she's mad.

Alexis: That's why I texted you. I need your help.

Yang: With Alex? Sure! Finally you begin to do something about it. I don't know how long I would've watched before I would have crushed your heads together to get you two to kiss.

She could feel that Yang was very irritated with how the two of them were dancing around the obvious.

Yang; so what's the plan?

Alexis: Well, I was hoping that you would get him to actually admit to liking me, I will pretend to come out somewhere and….Yeah that's about as far as I got planning.

Yang: Wow. That plan is so shit it might actually work.

Alexis: Well then what do you propose?

Yang: You, naked, bed, seduce, sexy times.

Alexis was going to have a stroke with how much the blood travels to her face.

Alexis: Yang, this is serious.

Yang: And so was I.

Alexis: We are sticking to my plan.

Yang: Alright, I can never do nothing… So when are we doing this?

Alexis: I was thinking later in the afternoon. He reserved the Weapons Wing for the entire afternoon just for us.

Yang: No wonder Ruby was upset, she wanted to be the first to use the new stuff. Hold up, whole afternoon? You can only reserve a two hour slot max!

Alexis: Ways…He has ways.

Yang: That's cheating! He can't just hack into stuff and do that!

Alexis: He can, and He did.

Yang: If you can get him to reserve our team the entire day tomorrow, then we have a deal.

Alexis: Give me a sec, let me ask.

Yang: It's cool, I'll wait.

* * *

Alexis went back to the kitchen, and again heard music playing. It was a lot softer than the first time, she guessed he didn't want her to find her again and thought she was in the bathroom.

He was putting away plates, dancing to the music and singing to himself. The song was of the Metal Genre from the way the beat was going.

Wake up (wake up)

Grab a brush and put a little make-up

Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up (hide the scars to fade away the...)

Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?

Here you go create another fable

You wanted to

Grab a brush and put a little makeup

You wanted to

Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up

You wanted to

Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?

You wanted to…

The brunette turned around, no doubt caught up in the song when he locked eyes with familiar Hazel… again.

"I um…thought you were in the shower." He said as he covered his face with his hand in embarrassment.

The blonde shook her head, the smile returning full force. "I was, but Yang texted. Apparently Ruby found out what you did and wanted to see if you could give them the whole day tomorrow."

"I can't tomorrow. Team CFVY signed up for tomorrow and I'm sure one of them will be suspicious if they suddenly aren't there anymore... Tell her that I can reserve next Saturday or Sunday." He said behind his hand, refusing to look up to meet her eyes.

'I cannot believe she saw me again. She thinks I'm weird. Fantastic…Oh Dear Lord if Yang gets wind of this…'

Alexis' smile disappeared slowly. Usually people would react embarrassed when they're caught doing something private, but Alex was genuinely upset.

"I'll let Yang know. Thanks Alex."

He gave her a thumbs up, still not looking up at her. She turned and continued the Text Conversation with Yang.

* * *

Alexis: He said not tomorrow, Team CFVY is there and there is going to be issues if they are suddenly not there anymore. He said either Saturday or Sunday of Next week.

Yang: Alright, Saturday sounds good. Ruby's literally bouncing around the room in excitement.

Alexis: I'll let him know.

Yang: Cool, I'll plan the rest of this out for you.

That was never a good thing.

Yang: Trust me, I won't ruin this for you. Have I ever lead you astray?

As Alexis was typing, Yang sent out another message.

Yang: Don't Answer that. Anyway, go enjoy the time you two will spend together…Alone…In a room that's sound proof….And that is locked….and that has stuff that looks like bondage gear…

Alexis: YANG GOD DAMN IT.

Yang: lol fine. Sheesh. I'll let you know when the dorm is clear. Or do you want me to do it in your dorm?

Alexis: Ours is fine, so long as what you do isn't Rated R.

Yang: Ok, cool. Just text me when your back so we can put this plan into action. I meanwhile will be in the library.

Alexis: Why? You tend to actively avoid those like the bubonic plague.

Yang: Blake asked me to tag along. So I did.

Interesting…very interesting.

Alexis: That fine. Thanks for helping me with this.

Yang: It's cool.

* * *

Alexis reconnected her scroll to the charger, and grabbed her stuff to go shower. But she stopped by the kitchen one more time to let Alex know which day to reserve for the others.

She stood at the door way, this time no music was playing as he was finishing stacking plates and putting away the other stuff he used. The blonde could _**feel**_ the fact that he was trying not to get caught in any embarrassing situations. It felt like he was scared of being ridiculed.

"Um." He nearly jumped when he heard her voice. He clearly wasn't in good headspace at the moment. He turned towards her, eyes facing her but not _**at**_ her. "Yang said Saturday is good."

"Cool." He nodded, grabbing his scroll. "I'll send Yang and Ruby a copy of the schedule once I'm done here."

"Ok, Thanks."

He gave her a hesitant smile, a nervous one.

That dampened her mood, clearly there were parts that Yang left out that day.

* * *

An Hour later.

Both the Blonde and Brunette were dressed in Old Clothing as they walked down towards the Weapons Refurbishment Wing. Alex was wearing an Old Long-sleeved shirts with a two shirts over that and some sweatpants. Alexis meanwhile was borrowing one of his old long-sleeved shirt (with permission of course.) and an old shirt above that, and a pair of sweatpants she didn't mind getting dirty. Basically the same attire but different colors. His was in horrible High Visibility Jacket Green and Yellow while she was in mostly blue.

In their hands, they carried everything they needed to upgrade their weapons so that it stalked up to the weapons of their peers.

They arrived at the Room where their ideas would come to live, from imagination to drawings to reality.

Alex held the door open for her, following her and locking the door behind them. It was mandatory lest they want issues with other students entering whenever they pleased.

Neither of them had said anything the entire time. Clearly the events of an hour ago had done more than simply embarrassed him.

She had thought of a way to at least try to cheer him up. It was similar to something her brother would do back in Atlas.

She took out her scroll (Alexis had been excited when Alex handed her new scroll to her before going to shower himself. He even smiled at her giddiness, though it died in an instant.) And went into the music app. She pulled up her favorite playlist and put it on shuffle. Before she could even put her plan into action, she made sure that it wouldn't bother him.

"Alex? Do you mind if I play some music? I forgot my headphones at the dorm. I promise it won't be too loud."

"It's fine. I don't mind. Were gonna be here a while anyway." He said as inspected the Machine he was at.

The blonde nodded and tapped on her favorite song in the playlist. It was her rap playlist. the last song he was expecting. He looked up from the machine he was at and at the blonde.

Alexis had inadvertently gotten lost in the Music, going along with the lyrics and singing with it. Her head was bobbing with the beat while she kept singing.

She purposely avoided the slur as she kept pace. He was busy watching her that he forgot that he needed to put on the special Health and Safety gear. Alexis had already put her own on and had gotten to work.

The Clothing they had to wear went over the persons own. It was a fireproof material that was very, very uncomfortable to wear. But it did the job as advertised. That was why they were told to wear comfortable clothing that they wouldn't mind getting dirty. The inside of the fire suit had stains and what not and sweat and other god knows what bodily fluids. It also chaffed, badly. And it wasn't very flexible.

Once he got somewhat accustom to the clothing, he immediately noticed that there was another glaring issue with the suit. It was fucking hotter than the core of the sun in there. Both he and Alexis were already sweating, they hadn't even started working!

The song that Alexis was listening to ended, and the next song started to play its hip hop beat. Another throwback apparently. To say that Alex was surprised was an understatement. He remembered that song, and remembered how annoying it was when Yang AND Ruby would play it nonstop for hours on end back at Patch, they still got the lyrics wrong!

The boy gave her credit where credit was due, at least she knew the lyrics. He setup the CNC machine for the dimensions he set and brought the small block of Aluminum Carbono Dustoid.

He tapped the screen and set it for exactly for what he needed. The CNC went to work, and Alex adjusted the block while the machine did its thing so that it would waste as little material as possible.

Making sure that he left everything correctly, he went over to the soldering desk and set down everything else there. The Soldering station was closer to where Alexis would be working with slimming down and upgrading her own weapon, Duel Disk.

The music was starting to affect him as well, and hearing Alexis singing he couldn't resist and jumped in, albeit quietly.

* * *

Alexis wiped her forehead, cringing in pain at the clothing scratching her forehead. She was just finishing up with her upgrades to her weapon.

Duel Disk's new upgrades made it lighter overall, shedding nearly four pounds of the total six it weighed. The Long Sword had been thrown into the pit and remolded into a slimmer Katana-esque blade, though keeping the ever so slight curve. She made several grooves where dust would flow through the blade and would come out through the tip or through the side facing away from her.

It's portability was also improved. The entire package was compacted into a long thin box no longer than most of her forearm as opposed to how it used to be, basically a mini-aukuo. There was an opening to the box where her scroll would fit and she could control what dust would be preloaded.

The hilt of the Katana fit two slim vials of any type of dust, though she knew that it would need improvement.

Her first aid supplies were underneath the section for the scroll, there was a button she would push and the emergency hatch above would open to reveal the first aid kit.

And to finish it off, she painted it blue.

She tested to make sure it worked, activating it and seeing the retention arm that extended outward and extended the Katana to its full form. The blonde made sure to do that several times in order to get a feel for it.

Placing it in its dormant mode, she looked over to her partner who was finishing off soldering whatever he was that he was soldering.

Alex had built a thicker motherboard for his weapon. It was as thick as a coin and he made sure it wouldn't give in from pressure. He soldered the new processor, memory modules, storage module, cellular bands, radios for GPS and other things, as well as stripping an old scroll and soldering in the keyless access card that let them use their scrolls as keys.

He then grabbed the body of the weapon. A circular, precision cut CNC'd body that was as thick as a laptop, but the overall dimensions of a watch. After carefully making sure that it fit into place from the top, he carefully seated the display assembly.

He placed the buttons on the side, cut the hole on the side for the speaker and did something else to the bezel to make it touch sensitive. Unlike the previous one, this watch bezel was fixed on.

After making sure everything was in order, he turned it on to make sure it worked. He was greeted with the 'Welcome' Splash Screen. A second later, it was at the setup menu. Going through and setting everything up, he tested to make sure the touch sensitive bezel and buckle worked.

He then tested mini solid holographic projector. Flipping his hand palm up, the buckle projected a solid hologram in the shape of a scroll. He could see the messages and everything else he would be able to see on his scroll. This meant that he could leave he scroll behind and he could still use his watch.

He tested a few more things, calling someone by cupping his hand over his ear when making a call for example.

After making sure that everything worked, he needed to check if the most important thing worked. He held his hands out in front of him, as if he was holding a ball and waited. Several moments ticked by as the Watch vibrated and began to expel a mist that was becoming a solid. In his hands, he held a ball of dust that was no bigger than his head. It was also very light, about as light as a shotgun shell. Dropping the ball on the ground, he began to juggle it around his feet, though he nearly tripped due to the firesuit. That was good enough for now.

Success! The last version of his weapon is complete. Now all he had to do was give it a name...

He snapped his fingers as he found a suitible name, but his train of thought went askew as Alexis approached him.

"Wow, that's pretty cool." She nodded at the ball on the ground.

"Thanks, yours isn't bad either. You shrunk it to a small tablet."

"Yup. Thanks for letting me use your laptop to design it."

"Anytime." he waved it off.

"What time is it? My scroll died sometime ago."

Luckily for them, Alex's weapon happened to be a wrist watch, so he brought his wrist to check the time and...

"Oh.."

"Hm? Something wrong?

"I might have forgotten to install the software to tell the time." he said as he facepalmed.

"So you have a watch... That can do everything but tell the time"

"I'll fix that... as soon as I get back to the dorm."

"If you say so." they both glanced around for a clock, finding one by the Wood Machine.

"It's 5 to 4." He said as he began to throw away the garbage. He helped Alexis clean up her garbage before immediately shedding the stupid ,oven like, Health and Safety suit that was made of the surface of the sun.

They both looked at themselves before looking at eachother. They were both DRENCHED in sweat.

The boy couldn't help but notice that he could see throw both the long sleeve and the shirt above that. He blushed slightly when he saw that Alexis was wearing a white bra. Another thought then came to him. His mind was then scolded by the rational part of his brain. 'Yang would kill me if she found out what I was thinking.' If there was one lesson that Yang had drilled into him, its that you should always treat woman with respect. Staring is rude and the like.

Alexis hadn't noticed that he was watching because she was doing the same thing. He had taken his High Visibility Green shirt off and was just in the long sleeve, the Tee having gotten stained with God knows what the hell is in that Fire Suit.

She could see the muscles that had been forming, his abs, his somewhat toned chest and his arms that had the signs of the of muscularity being developed. She licked her lips Unconsciously as she eyed him up and down, as if trying to use X-Ray Vision to see past the article of clothing.

'God Damn You Atticus and your perverted thoughts." she cursed to herself.

"Alright-" He stretched out, the shirt riding up again "Let's head back to the dorm."

She nodded and grabbed her scroll. She lied when she said it was dead.

Firing off a text to Yang, Alexis did have to wait long for a response.

* * *

Yang: You two finally done doing Sexy Times in there ;).

Alexis: No, but we are on our way to the dorm.

Yang: Alright, cool. I'll text Alex and tell him I wanna talk.

Alexis: OK.

The blonde put her scroll away, only for the brunettes scroll to ring a moment later.

"Who is it?" Alexis asked with fake curiosity.

"It's our friendly next door Blonde Brawler. She says that she wants to talk to me." he said as he fired off a response text, thumbs flying on the keyboard

Alex: About what Yang?

Yang: You know, stuff! Just wanna catch up, you know?

Alex: Fine. I guess it has been too long. Since you know, I've been busy being dead and what not.

Yang: Exactly! And don't worry about 'Lex', I'll take care of her.

He looked at the message suspiciously, but ultimately thought nothing of it.

Alex; OK, if you say so.

He pocketed the scroll and continued tinkering with his weapon. The blonde meanwhile was again texting with Yang.

Yang; Trap set. We are good to go.

Alexis: Ok, we'll be there in a few minutes.

The walk to the door was quick, the Dorm's weren't that far from the Weapons Refurb Wing.

Alex tapped his wrist to the door, and there was an audible click as he grabbed the handle and turned the knob.

The Air Conditioned Air washed over them, soothing the heated skin that was confined to that fire suit.

"Hellooooo!" A Familiar Voice Greeted.

"Yang? What are you doing here?" Alex asked in shock. He turned to the knob, then to the blonde, then back to the knob, then back to the blonde. "And how did you get inside?"

"I have my ways, you have yours." She answered. "What happened to you two? It looks like you guys were in a Sauna in your Clothes. And didn't I teach you better fashion sense? Bright Clothing isn't for everyone."

"That damn Fire Suit is basically a sauna, and these are just some old clothes." He addressed both her concerns "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to catch up! You know, talk about what's happened when you were gone, all that jazz."

The blonde grabbed a change of clothes and her towel. "You two can do that, I'll be in the bathroom."

The boy flashed her a smile as she passed by. Yang simply watched the exchange, adding that to her mental notes.

He took a seat on Alexis' bed, Yang deciding that she would sit on his. "So how is Atlas anyway? Are they filled with snot nosed brats like Princess over there?" She jabbed her finger towards the wall to her dorm.

He chuckled at Weiss' expense. "It depends on the Area. If you live in Azerbaijan, Manchester or New Atlas it isn't so bad. The outlying suburban area of those cities is pretty calm on most days. The entire Area Surrounding the City of Atlas and subsequently the Atlas Academy is the snotty part." She gave a hum in acknowledgment "In Manchester, you can walk without much of an issue or without someone making smart remarks, since most understand that Money is earned. I guess you could say that the city is more like the Commercial District."

"Right. Like Wall Ave. in Vale?"

He snapped his fingers at her comment. "Exactly like that. If you go into the City of Atlas though, you are going to get made fun of for, and I'm not exaggerating, literally anything. Hairs too long or short, pants are too expensive or cheap, scroll is old, skin tone and lets just sidestep the Faunus Question completely."

"Yeesh, that bad huh?"

Alex nodded, it was unfortunate. "It's the area around the Atlas Academy that is the worst. If you even breathe in their direction they try and pick a fight."

"You've dealt with this I assume."

He nodded again. "Unfortunately. The Academy Headmaster and Military Commander Ironwood approached the company for new technology for their Combat Arenas. If it weren't for the Pin I was wearing and Rei, I'm sure that I would've blown a fuse."

Yang took the mention of this 'Rei' Person and change paths so that it would lead to its destination. "Rei? Who's that?"

"Rei Azure, she's a close friend and is the person that runs the Day-to-Day operations while I'm here." He explained.

Close Friend? That interested Yang. Alex didn't have many friends. "When did you meet her?"

"I met her…damn…I think it was like tenish or so years ago?"

"How come I've never met her?"

"You did, once. The same day you hit your head on that rock while trying to do a cartwheel." He said in a deadpan tone. He was clearly not impressed by how awesome Yang's cartwheel was.

"How come I never saw her at Signal?"

"Because she was attending an Atlesian Private School? Yang, I told you like three times." He whined like a child.

"Well saw-reee, sheesh. How did you two keep in touch?"

"You remember that penpal assignment?" Yang nodded. "That's how."

"Ah, understandable." She nodded. There was a brief silence before Yang spoke up again, thinking now is the perfect time. "Would you describe Rei as pretty?"

"Uh…" He wasn't sure how to respond to that exactly, not having been ever asked that question might have had something to do with it. "I…guess? I mean, she isn't ugly or anything."

"And what about us?" Yang said as she changed topic lanes. "Would you describe us as pretty? Just go in order" She said as the blonde noticed that he was clearly having a tough time, a red tint was starting to grace his features.

"I mean, I guess so? I don't know what this is about." He said, genuinely confused.

"I was just curious is all? Just like Jaune like's Weiss for some weird reason, I was just wondering if you found anyone attractive. You know it's part of my nature. Plus maybe I can even help you out?"

"What, like a crush or something?"

"Yeah!"

His face lit up a brighter red. Yang saw that he needed a little push, so she gave him one. "I mean, I could tell you mine and Ruby's if it helped?"

"I think I remember Ruby saying something about Weiss." He said, trying to remember what it was Ruby said during Class a few weeks ago."

"Weiss?!" Yang asked in shock and Horror. "No, you joking. Please tell me you're joking."

"No." He shook his head. "I'm somewhat certain it's Weiss. They have been pretty closer than usual if you think about it." He explained. "Though you need to ask her to be sure."

There was a slight pause…

"DAMN IT!" Yang yelled, having remembered all the times when the Ice Queen would calm down when Ruby touched her. "Ugh, your right. She has feelings for the Ice Queen. Of all the people Ruby could like." She buried her face in her hands.

"It's not all bad. I mean, sure she has a temper problem like yours and she can be a little bossy, and a little stuck up, and she scolds you for no discernable reason and-"

"I get it Alexander, sheesh." She said.

"She has rough edges, but Ruby can and is most likely working around them. Think of it like this." He started, trying to justify it. "When Weiss gave Blake a chance after her secret, you said she had a heart. She probably had this ice around it. And Ruby is slowly melting it away. She's done progress if you look at Weiss then and now."

Yang sighed deeply. "I hate it when you're right. You know that? It makes sense, but I don't want to think about Ice Queen and my baby sis." She said.

"She'll always be your little sister Yang, but she deserves to be happy. As do you."

"As do you." Yang poked him in the chest. "I guess you're right. But if Ruby and Weiss go to the next stage and Weiss breaks her heart, I'll kill her."

Alex raised his hands in acknowledgment. "I know a place where we can hide her body if you do." He said. They always agreed on anything if Ruby's Happiness was in jeopardy.

"Glad the Corp hasn't completely changed you." She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Anyway, what about you then? Who does Richboy have on his radar?"

"And what makes you think that I like someone?"

"Because you're easier to read than a Picture Book sometimes?"

He had to concede the point. "Okay then Blondie, who do YOU like? I'll spill if you do."

"Cook us dinner tonight and it's a deal Rojo."

He clicked his tongue. "Xiao Long, you drive a hard bargen, but it's a deal."

"This is between you and me. If you even think of telling, I am going to split you in half." He nodded.

Yang took a deep breath. "It's Blake."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, pursing his lips as he processed the information. "I could see that."

"What?"

"Yeah, I could see that." He repeated himself. "I mean, she invites you to go to the library with her. And since you follow her, she thinks you don't mind spending time there so she invites you multiple times and-"

"How. The hell. Do you know this?"

"Many hours of mind Numbing TV. When you Automate something like Day-to-Day Operations and only need to deal with important decisions a few time a year, you get bored."

"I see. Anyway-"She waved a dismissing hand. "This conversation was never about me to begin with. This about you, soooo….spill the beans Rojo. Who is it? You know I don't judge."

He sighed, having failed to change the topic. He beckoned the Blonde closer. Behind her back she called Alexis on her scroll, the signal for her to come out. "If you tell anyone, just like you said 'I will kill you.' Trust me, I even have a place where no one will ever find the body."

"Whatever, I promise and all that jazz. Sooooo?"

Right on cue, Alexis stepped out in a pair of shorts that stopped right before the knee and some normal shoes. A normal white shirt was what she opted for her top.

"It's Lex."

"What?" Yang whispered in fake shock, as if absorbing this for the first time.

"Yeah." He said a little more loudly, not having noticed the fact that she was standing a few feet behind him with the largest, face splitting smile ever.

"And what do you like about her. Don't be shy, say it aloud! It's just you and me."

He nodded, having forgotten that Alexis had gone into the bathroom. "There isn't just one thing. It's like…It's like the best hamburger." He began.

At the comparison Yang fell into guffaws of laughter. "Only you would compare her to food!" Behind him, Alexis was shaking her head. Her smile never left though.

"The bun underneath would be her drive or her base. Like, whatever motivates her to do well is obviously working. She won't stop for anything and for anybody that stands in her way to become a huntress. That's something a lot of people here lack. They're here, but they don't have a drive. Something that motivates them to continue going through the mundane, god forsaken, boring, and frankly illegal speeches that we have to deal with in Professor Port's class. I can see it in her. That drive."

"Damn Alex, back at it again with the explanations!"

"The next part is the lettuce and veges. That would be her little quirks. Something that makes one unique."

"Like comparing a crush to a hamburger?"

"Did you want me to confuse you by comparing it to Grifball?" Yang shook her head, they'd be here for hours! "Then shh. Anyway, the little quirks like the way she adds a Z when there should be an S when we text. Or how she is basically a zombie without her morning coffee."

"Um, I don't think that's a quirk. That's just how people who are used to coffee are before they have their first cup in the morning."

"True, but I'll allow it. And then she has this little snore when she's asleep."

Alexis was offended. "I do not snore!"

Yang face palmed so hard that it nearly went through her forehead. She turned her head over to the boy to gauge his reaction.

He looked utterly mortified. His face was one people make when they are contemplating all their life choices up to that point in time. It was one that was basically silently begging to be put down. His face was one that was asking the ground to eat him up and spit him out in the middle of the ocean.

'This day has been absolutely fan-fucking-tastic!' his thought to himself sarcastically. 'She catches me dancing and singing not once, but twice and then this. Like, what the hell…'

The room was silent for several moments, both blondes looking at the boy. Yang was the only person that could see his face.

Leaning in, she whispered to him. "Tell her. Now's your chance." Yang gave him a pat on the back before getting and quickly leaving the room, locking the door on the way out.

Alexis walked around and took a seat where Yang was.

"Alex?" she asked softly. Today hadn't been the best day for him, Alexis knew that he was already humiliated after the events of the morning.

He began. "I forgot that you were in the bathroom and you know how Yang can be persistent. I didn't mean for you to hear that."

He took another breath, but his expression seemed like that of a sad child as he explained. "I know that you don't reciprocate the feelings I have for you, and I hope that this won't affect our partnership for the time we're here. But I guess now you know. Hopefully we can work to forg-mmph!"

Alexis had had enough of the brunette spitting out, in her opinion at least, utter and completely BULLSHIT and excuses for said BULLSHIT.

Alexis was on top of him as they kissed. It wasn't the best, and the inexperience reared its head as Alexis almost inhaled her own saliva and Alex nearly crashed into her teeth. But she didn't care.

She pulled up, her hazel brown eyes locking on to shocked chocolate brown ones.

Neither of them said anything as they simply stared into each other's eyes.

"U-um, w-well I guess y-you can say-" he stuttered out.

She finished his sentence for him.-"that was a long time coming. You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." She said as she licked her lips, resisting the urge to do it again.

He was still in utter shock at what had just happened. Is this a fantasy? "Wait, so does that mean that-"

"Yes. I like you too." She replied to his question.

His shocked face transformed into one of utter joy, that sad child now was now the happiest one Alive. He had a face splitting smile that Alexis couldn't do anything but replicate, As if he was leaking happiness everywhere. "Really?"

She nodded again. "Yup, really."

He rested his head on the mattress they were resting on, looking up at the ceiling. His smile only grew bigger as he realized that this was real.

'She likes me too. She actually likes me back…'

Alexis laid down on top of him, her head resting on his chest. Partly because he didn't seem to mind, but mostly because her arms were starting to complain. With her head on his chest, she could hear his heart still beating rapidly. Her head rose and fell in sync with his breathing.

After finally coming to the fact that this was no dream, and accepting the fact, he noticed a blonde head of hair on him and the weight of a head on his chest. "Lex?"

"Hm?"She asked groggily. His heart rate had slowed and was sort of relaxing…she could fall asleep to it if he gave her the chance.

"What are you doing? Not that I mind!" he added quickly, not wanting to scare her off.

"My arms were getting tired, and you were taking up the whole bed…" she explained "Besides, your comfy and warm."

As much as Alex didn't want to move, his back was starting to hurt because of the angle he was in and he still hadn't cleaned up. "Um, Lex…I kinda need to clean up. Plus my back is starting to cramp a little…I mean if you're comfy it's OK, it's not a problem." He added quickly.

Alexis sighed. She wanted to stay but he had a point, he needed a shower and it wasn't until now that she noticed his odor. "OK. But come right back."

Getting up, he twisted his torso both left and right in order to Crack his back. "Is that what cuddling?" he asked innocently.

She frowned at the question. "Not exactly." Has he never cuddled with anyone before? Not even Yang of Ruby when they were children?

His face fell slightly. "Oh. Well I'm going to clean up then." He said as he grabbed a change of clothes and closed the door to the bathroom.

At that moment, she received a text from Yang.

* * *

Yang: So? What happened?

Alexis: things.

Yang: Things?! I help you with this and all the details you give me is "Things"?! We're they at least good things?

Alexis: Yup.

Yang: Ohhhh… I see. ;)

Alexis: Anyway, he was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner. He said he'll make pasta.

Yang: spaghetti?! Hell yeah! I'll tell the others. What time?

Yang was pretending to accept the invite, having already been invited.

Alexis: he's in the shower right now, but I'll text you the time. You can invite Team JNPR if you want too.

Yang: Alright. Nora is going to go nuts over the spaghetti.

Alexis: I'll text you the details in a bit.

Yang: I'll be waiting! And we are going to have a little chat after dinner too…

Alexis: about?

* * *

Yang didn't respond to the question. What did she want to talk about?

Her train of thought was interrupted by Alex stepping out of the bathroom. He was wearing an Old blue shirt with some blue shorts.

"That cold water really helps." He said as he fixed his hair, slicking it back.

Alexis looked up at her partner, who was staring back at her.

"I texted Yang about coming over."

"And?"

"She invited Team JNPR over as well."

"Ah, fair enough. I should probably get on that then." He said, not moving from where he was at.

Alexis just watched as he bit his lip, contemplating whether to ask his next question. "So….what happened before on went into the bathroom…"

"Yes?"

"Does that mean that…" He trailed, just moving his index finger in her direction and him.

"Are you asking if this makes us a couple?" She received a small nod and shrug. "I guess? I don't have experience myself, but I did that out of impulse. I felt that it should have happened sooner."

"Like during the Mission in Mountain Glenn?" He asked, remembering that he almost kissed her before Ruby and Oobleck showed up.

"Honestly I think it could've happened after the initiation" She said, she still hadn't forgiven Jaune for that.

"Ah." He said. Alexis could read him like a book, he had several more questions on the matter but didn't want to ask them for some reason. He grabbed his scroll, flipping the screen up and punching several keys on the keyboard before sliding back and pocketing the device.

"Anything else?" Alexis asked, trying to coax it out of him. He bit his lip again, the blonde finding it cute but still wanting to get him to communicate more about this.

"Um…how long did you…you know…"

"How long did I what?" He mumbled something as he scratched his head and looked away "I didn't catch that. I won't bite if you ask." She told him to relieve him. 'How does he act during a board meeting.' She asked herself.

"How long did you have feelings for me?" He asked with his face covered by his hand, hiding the red tint that had graced his features.

Alexis thought about it for several seconds. "I guess once we were here for a month or so? Around the beginning of September? We just hung out and I noticed how you weren't like everyone else in Atlas. You said that I had a drive, so do you. Obviously there are other reason, but you seem like the type of person not to give up either."

He removed his hand from his face, she noticed that the red tint was still there but that he was smiling as well.

"Now that you know that, how long did you like me then?"

"Uh…I have to get started on the Pasta now!" He said as he rushed to the kitchen.

The blonde blinked as he ran to the kitchen, almost leaving a dust cloud in his wake. Though she wasn't going to drop the subject. She walked to the kitchen and sat down on the island. "You aren't getting away that easily Mister. So spill the beans."

He grabbed a bag of beans and spilled them on the Island, though none of them fell to the floor.

"I spilled them." He said, motioning to the beans on the table.

"Not literally, you smart aleck." She said as she picked up the beans and poured them back into the re-sealable bag, flicking one and hitting him in the forehead. "Seriously though, I want to know." She said, crossing her arms and giving him a pout.

He made the fatal error of turning around as soon as she started doing that, and knew that he had messed up big time.

'Damn it…' He said as he dropped his head in defeat, the blonde letting her frown turn to a smile as Alex admitted defeat.

Setting the Noodles to cook and the meatballs to cook, he sat down next to her. "I guess when we met? Or a week after? I just wanted to spend time with you, and I liked being next to you if possible. I know it sounds creepy, sorry. Plus I got this weird feeling in my stomach. It wasn't bad, but it only happened whenever I was with you."

Alexis' smile widened, he was smitten! "Really? So you just liked hanging out only?"

"NO!" He squeaked, his voice going a high octave. "I didn't mean it to sound like that! I just liked spending time with you during class getting our work done and fighting alongside you and the initiation was cool and seeing your drive during the initiation as you killed all those minor grimm without even trying an-" he silenced his defensive rambling with a peck on the lips.

They both looked at each other for several seconds after, Alexis now starting to regret doing it. 'Is it too soon to do that? I like doing it, but does he like it? Does my breath smell?'

"Um, Could we do that again?" He asked her.

She nodded, closing the distance as embracing him in a kiss again. It wasn't like the one on the bed, but it had a similar intensity to it. They both had face splitting grins as they stared at each other, looking into each other's eyes... That was until they smelled something burning and Alex noticed the steam from the bowl.

"The Pasta!"

* * *

Team RWBY had brought their own table as they pushed it together with the other one in the dorm, forming a Figure Eight since they were both Circular Desks. While everyone else was Chatting amongst themselves, Yang keeping an eye on the Heiress and her little sister, Alex brought out the food.

"This smells great!" Ruby said, Nora nodded happily in agreement with her fork in hand.

He brought out the rest as he took a seat, sitting in-between Alexis and Pyrrah. Jaune was next to Pyrrah and Ren, who was next to Nora. Blake and Yang sat Next to each other while Ruby sat next to Blake and Weiss, who was sitting in the middle of Alexis and Ruby.

They had their drinks and chatted while eating about whatever had happened throughout the day, along with catching Alex up to speed with anything he missed during his time in the hospital. Nora told her ludicrous yet really entertaining dreams stories about catching an Ursa head from the sky and getting the idea to sell Hanging Head Ornaments from Dead Grimm.

They continued talking about random topics for a few more hours, Nora suddenly slamming her head into the table and snoring lightly, a drool bubble promenint as she slept.

"I think we should all hit the sack." Jaune said as he gestured to Ren, who was rubbing his eyes, and Pyrrah, who was yawning.

"Cool, We'll see you guy's later!" Ruby waved at them as she continued to suck up a third plate of cookies.

"Ruby, you won't be able to fall asleep with all the sugar you're inhaling." Weiss said, not really doing anything to stop her as she watched in slight awe at how the Red Head basically swallowed the cookies without needing to chew them.

Ruby finished eating, rubbing her stuffed tummy. "Ah, that was good." She said, letting out a deep burp that grabbed everyone's attention.

"Ruby, that is disgusting." Weiss sighed as she pinched her nose and shook her head.

"I'm tired now." She said, her eyes drooping slightly.

"Why don't you guys head back? I'll stay here a while longer." Yang suggested. Both Weiss and Ruby nodded as they walked out, waving at their hosts for the night. "You too, Kitten." She nodded her head to the door

Blake glared at Yang for the nickname, though the blonde could tell she wasn't actually mad, and thanked the blonde and brunette before leaving too.

"Anything else Yang? Before I start cleaning up?" Alex asked as he started to pick up the dishes to take them to the sink.

"Nah, I'm just gonna chat with my fellow blonde brethren, right?"

"Yeah." Alexis said as she tried to sound calm, wondering the entire night what Yang wanted to talk about. About midway through dinner was when she got an idea of what I could be.

"Alright. Just yell if you need me." He called over his shoulder as he disappeared. The blonde turned to face the swordswoman, a serious expression filling her features.

"OK Alexis, I think it's time we have 'The Talk'. You know which one I'm talking about." She said as she nodded towards the kitchen. "Though first I have to ask, what happened after I left? There isn't a point in doing this if it didn't turn out like I expected it to." Alexis mumbled something as she looked away. "You did what in the bathroom?" Yang teased, trying to get her actually say it aloud.

"Yang! I said that we kissed!" She said with a hard blush at the blonde's innuendo. They hadn't done a thing in the bathroom.

"Really? Did you start or him?"

"I did."

"Wow. I am impressed." She whistled. "I was expecting something good, but not that good. At least not yet. Whatever though, the outcome is the same. But answer this for me first. Would you consider yourselves an item now?"

"Um." Alexis hesitated. "I…guess?"

"Good. Now let me give you 'The Talk' then." She turned her body completely to face Alexis, hands clasped together on her lap. "Listen, I'm glad that you decided to pursue this. I've seen how happy he makes you. And how you make him happy. In a few short months you too have moved faster than most people do in years." She explained. "Everyone deserves to be Happy. Which is why I'm talking to you. I'm asking you, not as a friend, but an older sister to please have some patience with him. I don't know if some of his habits changed when he left to Atlas, but for a long time he felt more like added weight. What I mean is that he thought that he was just being a burden to me and Ruby. I've told you this in the hospital. He doesn't want us to think of him as a surrogate brother, but just as a family friend. He's gotten upset over that fact."

"He's taken care or Ruby when I couldn't, he cooked for us and even skipped a few meals to make sure we were fed, he thought I didn't notice it at the time. I don't know if that's just him trying to have a hero complex or trying to clear his conscience or something. He's done a lot for us. Even Financially." Alexis nodded. "I'll give you an example. After about six months after he left, the Vale Bank froze my bank account because of someone trying to commit fraud. Because I'm not eighteen, they wouldn't unfreeze it until a legal aged adult would sign. I had to steal food and we were stuck without hot water or electricity for 2 weeks before the lights were turned on, the water was running, and out of nowhere I got a call saying that my account was cleared and a deposit of 50,000 Lien was accepted. I doubt my underground fight palace donated it."

"What I'm going with this is that, he isn't the easiest person to deal with sometimes. He will hide stuff from you. But I know you can make him stop doing so. He listens to you, pays attention and does what you ask of him. He will do everything in his power to make sure you're safe. He does it to anyone who he cares for. And he cares for you. Just don't abuse it. Just have some tolerance for his, sometimes stupid, decisions. He isn't always right on them, but usually he knows what he's doing. No matter how convoluted it may sound. Make sure that he gets proper treatment for his injuries, like I've said before he tends to hide them so that you don't have to worry about it."

Alexis stopped her right there. "Yang, he doesn't do this out of the blue. Something must've have happened when he was younger for him to start doing these types of things."

"You're right on that. When I say he's dealt with us, I mean in every way, including anger and annoyance..." She began.

* * *

Flashback, 11 Years Prior.

The Island of Patch, a State Minor of Vale. Rose-Xiao Long household.

"Yang! It hurts!" Ruby wept as she clutched at her knee. The blonde was treating her cut with some alcohol and tied the cloth around her knee, causing Ruby to whimper in pain as the liquid stung the wound.

"I know, but maybe if SOMEONE WOULDN'T CUT THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME, we'd have bandages." She yelled over her shoulder, causing the darker skinned brunette boy lowering his head in shame. He held the last bandaid in his hands, not putting it on his own cut as he looked at Ruby. Once Yang left to start making dinner, he untied the cloth from Ruby's leg.

"What are you-"

"Shhh." The boy shushed her. "Don't tell Yang. Mine isn't that bad." He lied as he placed the bandaid on the cut. Ruby looked at it and looked back up. But he wasn't there anymore. She turned around on the couch and saw the boy running up the stairs, limping quickly up the stairs before disappearing, hear the door to his room close.

Inside the room, the boy changed from the shorts he was wearing to a pair of pants. The fabric of the pants rubbing painfully against the wound, which had not been treated with anything, and caused him to yelp in pain as he started walking and felt the fabric rubbing against the cut, agitating it.

Flashback. 6 Years ago.

Two high pitched yelps alerted Yang to Ruby and Alex. She saw them in front of the house, Ruby clutching her head, which had a trickle of blood, and Alex, who was clutching his Ribs painfully.

"What happened?" Yang rushed over to her sister's aid, not acknowledging the boy with tears in his eyes by breathing.

"We were playing with this" Ruby showed Yang the bright pink ball. "And I threw it up in the air and we both tried to catch it. But the wind pushed it and we didn't see where we were going and crashed into each other."

It was then that Yang noticed Alex, and how he was clutching at his ribs. She took them both inside to treat them, but she only had a little bit of Medication left. Just enough to either treat Alex or Ruby. not enough for both.

She gave Ruby a sorry smile. "Sorry Rubes, but Alex might have broken Ribs." She turned to the boy. "Maybe if you were watching where you were going, this wouldn't have happened." She scolded him as she got up to grab a cloth, not noticing the disheartened eyes the boy had given him.

'This is my fault.' He thought to himself. 'I keep getting us hurt. I keep making Yang upset.' He looked back up to notice Yang coming back with everything, she kneeled and was about to lift up his shirt when he grabbed her hand.

"Actually, I think the pain is going away. Maybe you should use that on Ruby instead." He nodded over the Red Tipped Girl, who was watching TV and holding the cloth to her head. The cloth itself was still red.

"Are you sure?" Yang asked, giving him a concerned look. He nodded, Yang not noticing the small hiss he gave when he adjusted his position. "If you say so." She went over to Ruby and began to treat her wound.

"I'm gonna go to my room." Alex said as he got off the couch, holding in the Yelp of pain from moving.

"Dinner will be ready soon. I made you guy's favorite!" Yang said as she finished treating Ruby.

"Yay!" Ruby cheered as Alex closed the door to his room. He went to the mirror and lifted his shirt, revealing a raging purple bruise.

* * *

Alexis was staring at the Yang slack-jawed. "You want me to fix his physiological problems? Yang, I'm not a therapist!"

"I am not asking you to fix him. I'm just asking for you to have some patience with him. You can stop him from hiding stuff from us."

"I understand why he would!" Alexis raised her voice a little. "YOU SCOLDED HIM FOR SOMETHING HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER. Do you see the problem with that? It's like yelling at the Water for being cold, it has no control over its own temperature!" she gestured with her hands at the example.

"I know." She Sighed. "She told me about the bandaid, the Ribs and a few other things."

"Others?" Alexis asked with a slight gasp "You mean that this was an ongoing thing?"

"I didn't know I was doing it until Ruby told me after the incident with the Ball Borbatusk. It was then I put two and two together, but it was already too late."

"Yang, you have to understand that you could've been arrested for Child Endangerment for doing those things if anyone else knew or knows about them."

"Yeah, It's just…I didn't know I was consciously doing it. It was just sort of a responsive thing. It was along the lines of 'My Baby sister is injured, Alex is injured, Ruby is an Angel so it's Alex Fault." I always said that I would take care of the two equally after my dad left, but I never truly did. I always favored Ruby."

"No duh, which actually brings me to a question." Yang nodded, allowing her to ask. "I caught him singing twice today, and he looked ashamed both times he was caught. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" The Alexis asked with a raise eyebrow.

"Yeah…Alex has a natural singing voice, don't know if it was tainted by Weiss, but he could sing by the age of six. I think he got it from his mom, she taught him bit by bit so that he wouldn't get overwhelemed. He would sing to Ruby to get her to fall asleep. He would even put me to sleep occasionally.

When I was fourteen, Ruby twelve and Alex thirteen, I caught him singing an old school rap song. I recorded it and showed it to Ruby and a few of my friends. They made casual and passing jokes, Ruby occasionally wanting him to 'Spit some Bars' in front of her own small group of friends. It made him uncomfortable, the fact that they knew what he did when he was alone. He stopped doing it all together, he didn't even play music anymore. He just did the chores in silence."

"God Damn it Yang…" Alexis sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I know, I know. I told them to stop joking about it once I knew about it."

"Yang, you don't understand. Now that I know this, I know now that he won't want to say anything or do anything like that because he's afraid of either being scolded or being ridiculed." Alexis covered her mouth, as she understood his reaction from the morning. "He probably thought I was going to tell someone about it."

"Yeah, sounds about right." Yang said sadly. Alexis was putting the events of their shared childhood into perspective, which explained to Yang why he avoided groups of people at all costs. Why he made few friends. "I Know I didn't do a good job with raising him, I understand. But give me a break, I had to raise two kids basically. I am literally begging you to be patient with him. He's had to deal with me, which from what we've pieced together right now means it wasn't in the best interest for him. Even considering the Circumstances with us, our living arrangement.

But Alexis he like you, you don't understand how it feels to see him happy like that. Ruby is always bubbly and happy and literally shitting out rainbow pixie dust, especially around Weiss."

"Alright. I understand Yang." She said as she heard the dishes being put away.

"Thank you. And one more thing." She said as she got up. "If you do end up breaking his heart…" She came close to Alexis' ear. "They'll never find your body."

The heat radiating from the brawler did manage to scare the swordswoman, nodding in agreement. Yang patted her on the back as she check the time. "This talk didn't go like I planned, but it went well in my opinion. Anywho, I gotta go back to my own dorm. Ruby's probably running around on her sugar high trying to molest Weiss or something." She said as she waved, closing the door.

Alexis just stayed at the table, digesting the information divulged today. All the new information she had learned about Alex, what he didn't tell her about. At least when she lived with Atticus, it was just her and him. They had an inheritance from their Aunt and Uncle, and home and sufficient foot and clothing. Atticus did tease her playfully from time to time, but always was overprotective of her. Now she was starting to be grateful for it. All the terrible people that he scared off, those that wanted to hold her back. Now, with the conversation, she was thanking her brother over and over for doing his best for the both of them.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Alex walk out of the kitchen. "Did Yang leave? I forgot to give her this piece of cake." He lifted the piece of cake that was wrapped in saran wrap.

"Yeah, she just left."

"Damn, I'll give it to her tomorrow then. What did you guys talk about? One of you raised your voices. Did you two get into an argument?"

"Yeah, she was trying to tell me the Achiev-Men is better than the Haus of Fun." She lied.

"Ah, fair enough. I've heard a few from both, neither are really what I like but to each their own." He shrugged, turning off the light in the kitchen. They both got ready for bed, changing into their sleepwear before going to their respective beds.

"Goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight Lex." They both told eachother before falling asleep.

Well, he fell asleep. Alexis mind kept wandering to other places…

* * *

Author's Note: I did not want to rush it like I did here, but I was taking way too long. I had originally planned something similar to this like 5 Chapters ago I dragged it out for way too long. Sorry if it felt rushed and forced.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Start of the Second Sequence: From Work to Play, and everything In Between.

* * *

Start of the Second Sequence: From Work to Play, and everything In Between.

Timeskip: 1 Month and 2 weeks later.

The duo were relaxing as there was a brief respite in Paperwork from the Professor, bless them, and were being extra lenient with any deadlines for anyone involved in the breach and plugging it in.

Alex had ordered a couch to go in their "Living Room", both of them having drawn out what section of the room is what and he bought furniture that went with it. There was a study area, with a squared table cast off to one corner of the room where it wouldn't get in the way and could easily seat at least six. The living room area, where there was a couch that could fit four normal people. The sofa had actually come with a matching loveseat but Yang and Ruby had claimed it as their fee for helping bring the stuff in. The TV was mounted on the wall and as of now was connected to the Brunette's laptop as he played a game.

Alexis was resting her head on his lap, playing with his scroll and going through the apps on it. She was intrigued by it, and how different it was from everyone else's. It wasn't transparent nor could it change shape like one could with the school issued ones (Alex had his sent to Patch in its box with a piece of paper stating where to store it.) The screen was big and there was a lip that you could push up on to reveal a keyboard underneath, something that she had never seen before. She kept sliding the screen closed and open and just twirled it around to see if she could find any other hidden secrets it was hiding before her attention turned upwards to a very enraged teen.

"God's Sake!" He shouted as he nearly threw his controller at the TV.

Alexis had stopped paying attention to the scroll and looked over to the boy. His jaw was clenched and His eyes were concentrating on the task at hand, hand gripping the controller hard enough that it looked like it would shatter under the pressure. She could see that his brown eyes had hardened slightly in concentration at the task at hand.

The scroll in her hand began to ring, playing a small tune, grabbing both their attention.

"Who is it?" he asked, nodding at the scroll in her hand.

Alexis checked the Caller ID, eyes widening in curiosity at the person in question. "It's Professor Goodwitch." The blonde pressed the green button on screen, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Blau? Is Mr. Rojo with you?" The Professor asked. She was given an answer in the form of a frustrated groan and the sound of plastic snapping.

"Yes, would you like me to pass it to him?"

"No, I actually wanted to speak to the both of you. Come up to the Headmaster's Office."

"Uh… Ok." The swordswoman said nervously, a bit uneasy at the order.

Glynda noticed the uneasiness in her voice. "It's quite alright, you aren't in any trouble." She assured. "But I do need you to come up soon."

A sigh of relief came from the other end of the line. "Alright. We're going, I'll just let Ruby kno-"

"That's quite alright. There is no need to inform Team RWBY."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite. I'll see you two up here." The Professor hung up, leaving Alexis surprised.

Alexis placed the scroll on the table, got up and grabbed her weapon. She also grabbed Frameskip and handed it to Alex who looked really, really upset.

"Stupid Lag, stupid Defending." He moaned. The brunette picked up the pieces of the shattered controller and threw them into the bin, double bagging it in order for the sharper edges to not cut the bag. "What did Goodwitch want?"

"She wants to talk to us."

"About?" He gestured his hand for more details.

"I don't know." The blonde shrugged. "She just said to hurry up. And not to tell the others."

"Why?"

She gave him another shrug. He gave his own shrug as he put on his weapon. The watch gave a solid vibration to inform the wearer that it's ready for battle.

"Alright, let's go then." He said, pocketing his scroll and wallet.

He closed the door to the dorm, pressing the band of his watch against the security lock until he heard the 'click'. He caught up to the blonde, taking five jogging steps until he was right next to her.

The blonde grabbed his hand, and interlocked their fingers together. He looked at their hands before looking up to the eyes of his partner. He just smiled, a contagious one that led to the blonde giving off her own. Alexis could tell that Alex was nervous, so she rubbed her thumb over the top of his hand. It seemed to work as she felt him grip slacken a little.

During the last few weeks they had gone on 3 separate dates, one every Friday night, and after the third successful yesterday they both agreed that they were, as Nora had put it, 'Together-Together'. But they both also agreed that they would not let this affect either of them academically, at least they'd agreed they would try to not let it affect them.

They've had several training sessions away from Team RWBY, as Weiss and Ruby were always busy in the library or in Vale, while Yang would be at the Gym and Blake would engross herself in a novel as one does. Which meant that they had to look elsewhere for spars of two. Coco and Velvet of Team CFVY seemed always open and so was Ren and Nora whenever they passed by.

They passed by the field. Despite it being a little later, there were still some people out and about. Some were just sitting on benches, a few were kicking a ball around and they even saw Nora playing baseball with Maginhild. Though she and Ren seemed to have a lot of replacement balls, maybe the pile of destroyed baseballs at her feet have something to do with it?

They arrived at the elevator which led to Ozpin's office. Hearing a 'Ding', they stepped inside and Alex pressed the button leading to the top.

Why did Ozpin want to talk to them? Did something happen? Goodwitch sounded very serious.

The 'Ding' that followed would lead them to their answers. The brunette let go of Alexis' hand as he took the lead towards their headmaster and her assistant/their Combat Instructor.

"Headmaster Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch. You called for us."

"Yes." Ozpin said, resting his head on his hands.

"And what is it that you need?"

"Well." He began. "You two, as of the time you two arrived, have been a part of Team RWBY."

"Yes…" The brunette Drawled, trying to get the Headmaster to quickly make his point. Alexis elbowed him, causing him to glare at her.

"As you two know, teams here are made up of, at most, four people. This is not the first nor last time that a temporary team will be assigned like it has here. However, Professor Goodwitch and I have had a chance to see the progress that has been made by you two in the field. We believe that you two will make excellent Hunters that will surely protect the people in the future."

"Thank You Sir." The two said in unison.

"But," He continued "Right now, as you attend this academy, you can no longer be a part of Team RWBY."

Dread filled both of them, and could be clearly seen on their faces. Would they get kicked out? What would happen to them?

"This doesn't mean that you will leave however." They both gave a collective sigh of relief. "Professor Goodwitch has brought up a solution."

"Yes." The Combat Instructor stepped forward to address them. "I have the paperwork that would allow the two of you to form your own team, and separate from Team RWBY." Glynda presented a Manilla Folder, which was opened on the desk in front of them and papers neatly stapled together. The bottom had two blank lines, presumable for both their signatures.

"Once you sign this, you two will no longer be recognized as part of Team RWBY and you two will be your own team."

Alex grabbed the paperwork, scanning over and reading the document. He flipped page after page as he mumbled the words he was reading.

"Will this have any negative effects our education or on any team based exercises?" He asked, holding a tone Alexis had never heard him carry before.

'This must be how he deals with Company matters.' The blonde thought as she read a copy of the document.

"I won't lie, as for team based exercise Ms. Goodwitch will need to see how she can get the working without you two being at a major disadvantage. I understand how a 4 against 2 spar would seem unfair. As for the curriculum, that is unchanged. You will still attend your classes as normal."

"And how will this affect our participation at the Vytal Tournament? And how will this affect our outdoor assignments?"

"With the outdoor assignments, you can just follow Team RWBY or any other team as long as they don't mind. I know professor Peach is going to have an outfield assignment soon. As for Team Based assignments, Professor Goodwitch and Myself have a few that we are certain that you two could do. That would count for your First Year Outfield Credit."

"Ok, this seems planned out well." The CEO acknowledged. "But as written here on Page 7 Section 1 Paragraph 5 it is stated that, and I quote 'The Field Hunters in question who are in Training shall henceforth be referred to as 'Specialists, Hunter Specialists, Spec Ops Hunters or any derivative of the Special Operations Unit of the Hunters Association.' Care to explain what that means?"

Alexis and Glynda were both shocked, Alexis mouth slightly ajar. This was not the same person from half an hour ago, who was upset over losing in a game.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "I expected nothing less of you. Yes, you two will be Specialists in training. But it will not change what you will be doing here for the next four years. A Specialists will once in a blue moon be given a mission that is different from what normal hunters would usually get. They are the reason we've discovered so many new species of Grimm, and they help us find out ways to kill them. As specialists, you will be given one mission per semester with Ms Goodwitch further within the Emerald Forest. There are so many places that have been left untouched there. "

"Were you a Specialist as well?" Alexis asked the Blonde combat instructor.

"Yes, though I didn't have the luxury of having a partner. Consider yourself lucky Ms. Blau." There was a small, almost invisible upturn at the corners of Professor Goodwitch's mouth.

"Do you accept?"

"Do we have another option?"

"Of Course, it involves you two returning to Atlas and being trained with the Atlas Academy First Division under General Ironwood." Ozpin explained nonchalantly, interlocking his fingers together in front of him.

The Blonde swordswoman went Pale. She was NOT going to train in Atlas. The students are deceived in Atlas, being bred to become soldiers of the Atlesian National Guard or worse, the Atlesian Military. No, she wasn't going.

Plus, what about Alex? Will their partnership, the time they spent together, be for naught? He'll probably forget about her within a few days. She could already see images in her mind of that happening.

"We'll do it." Alexis said above the argument Ozpin and Alex were getting into.

"What?" He turned to face the blonde "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm here to train and defend, and I refuse to go back to Atlas to train in that Academy." She vented.

"Hm, you feel very strongly about this." Ozpin said.

"With all due respect to General Ironwood, his academy is run to breed soldiers. Either that or Mercenaries who put aside everything just for the sake of money."

Glynda narrowed her eyes slightly, taking note of that.

"Plus, he is a bit of a dick with a Superiority Complex." Alex said as he crossed his arms.

"Mr Rojo!" Glynda scolded

"It's true, we've all seen it!" He slammed his palms onto the desk "He tries to get his way every time, strong-arming everyone into submission. I've had to deal with him several times. Do you understand how frustrating it is trying to explain to him that we don't plan on making military technology anymore? Or renewing our Military Contract with the Atlas Federal Guard. He keeps nagging and trying to get sanctions put in place so I have no option BUT to work with him." He vented his corporate fury.

He then began counting on his fingers everything wrong with Ironwood. "He's trying to get Mandatory Conscription passed for all Citizens, naturalized or born, in the country. All civilian vehicles must run on Schnee Dust Liquefy or Ethanol 50%. Do you understand how absolute garbage Ethanol 50% is? Do you know how expensive it is per gallon? Don't even get me started on his proposed, and secret I might add, Government Funded, Domestic and International Mass surveillance Project he's trying to get running. He wants every technology company in Atlas to basically help him track all of the citizens Remnant at any time."

"Ok, I understand you frustration with the General. But this conversation isn't about him. We can either reach an agreement here, or you go to Atlas or your simply find a different Career. You are not obligated to accept this." Ozpin acknowledged their choices.

Alexis and Alex looked at each other. A few seconds passed, and they nodded at each other before nodding at their superiors.

"Alright. We'll do it. Are we going to do these missions alone?" Alex asked.

"No, they require both you and her. It's a two person job." They both nodded as Glynda handed them both pens.

Alexis signed her name on her document as Alex signed his name into his copy, handing them both to Glynda.

"Thank You for agreeing to this. I know this isn't exactly what you expected, but you have my word that this agreement doesn't leave this room. You two are just regular hunters, on your own team. However, I already have your first assignment. I'll brief you on it later." They both nodded dejectedly.

"I did forget to say one thing. And it's in the document. If you find two others, or two others join your team willingly, you will be removed from the Specialists Program." They both nodded again, a bit out of it and not paying much attention...

"As for your new Team Name…" He paused for several seconds, eyeing them both.

"You are now known as Team ARAA. Pronounced Aura. Team Leader…Alexander Rojo."

A screen popped up in front of them, their pictures being moved from TEAM RWBY to the new TEAM ARAA. Both Emblems below the team name. Alexis' Blue Cross with a white medical cross and Alex's Company Logo, the three letters that make up the PNA.

"Again, thank you for coming. You may leave." They both turned and walked to the elevator, Alex slamming the button with the bottom of his fist. The combat instructor glared at the back of his head, but kept her mouth shut.

"That was certainly unexpected." Ozpin said as he leaned back in his chair. "Glynda, please don't lecture Ironwood. He must have a reason for doing all this."

"Why does he want everyone to be conscripted to his military? Is his army not big enough?" The professor imagined Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters, all being shipped away. Deployed to a war they never would agreed on in the first place.

"You know how Ironwood is." Ozpin responded. "The Council would never allow that to happen."

The blonde said nothing, opting to walk and look outside through the Glass Window. She spotted the pair walking down, holding hands it seems.

A small smile, more visible than the last, appeared.

Clicking of a keyboard made her turn to the source of the sound, seeing Ozpin typing something.

"What are you doing?"

He sent the information he was editing onto her Scroll Tablet, the small yellow button blinking on the side. She'd just received a notification.

Opening the application in question, she was greeted to several digital pages. "What's this?" She asked as she skimmed through them. She noticed the words "Atlas Academy" "Espionage"

"That is their first mission."

Now, Glynda was a woman who took pride in handling these types of situations with a cool, calm demeanor. But what she was reading, they weren't ready for this.

"Ozpin, you don't really expect them to go on their own?"

"Of Course not. You're going with them. After all, they'll be covering you."

"What?" The Professor asked, gritting her teeth.

"What he said about James isn't something I would normally want to hear, however I do acknowledge the fact that he has been acting a little more suspiciously as of late."

"Beacon has received invitations from Atlas Academy several times, wanting us to send a few of our best Hunter or Huntress in training to compete in their tournament that takes in early November." He explained. "I want you to see if you can get any information on this, whether or not any of what Mr. Rojo said has any merit. James may be overstepping his boundaries."

"And how do you expect me to grab that information? I can't just waltz in there and take it. It's encrypted with several security measures."

"Well, good thing Mr Rojo has the tools, and a very large company at his disposal for that." Ozpin sipped his coffee. "Read them, understand the layout of the Academy and be prepared to brief them."

Glynda understood that this was an order from him not as a Headmaster, but as Commander in Chief of the Vale Military.

According to Clauses I, IV, V, VII, IX and X, Subsections III and V of the Vale Defensive Bypass Acts, should war breakout, he would be able to Declare Martial Law within the city of Vale and its surrounding territories and as the give himself absolute authority within its borders.

Clause II, III, and VI of Subsection IV also explained that every hunter, student, soldier, police officer, security contractor and anyone else with combat experience would be conscripted.

Executive Orders 9, 3, and 5 of the Newly Ratified Valistic Statutes also gave him special bypass rules that allowed him to circumvent the Council Vote on certain Military Operations, such as this one.

"You may leave to your room, Professor Goodwitch." He got up and faced the window, looking down at the few students wandering below. "You will leave in the next few days, as the tournament starts on Friday. I have taken the liberty of Alerting the Atlas Academy of our participation so no additional documentation is necessary." He saw that she was about to protest. "This is not up for debate, get familiar with the layout and prepare to brief them" She closed her mouth and nodded, calling for the elevator and waiting for it to arrive.

This is an order of espionage on foreign soil. If word got out that the Headmaster of Beacon had order and such mission on foreign soil without going through the Council of Vale…let's just say Problems would arise to say the least. The public doesn't know about these laws since they were passed 'under the table'. Only those who were conspiracy theorists and etc. knew about them, and they probably thought it sounded ridiculous as well.

She arrived at her own room, unlocking the door and placing the Scroll Tablet on the coffee table. She would read them after a nice shower and changing out of her clothing into something more comfortable.

After the refreshing shower and changing into her sleepwear, the blonde tied her hair into a small messy ponytail and put on her glasses. Taking a seat, she began to thoroughly go over her new assigned Mission.

Reading page after page, memorizing the entrances and what not, the rules of the tournament and other important items. Ozpin had to have lost his mind.

She eventually retired to bed, thinking about how she would tell the two of them that their first Specialist mission was, ironically, returning to Atlas.

XXX

"Students, today is the final match of the BCON Tournament Group Stage. Remember that the top two students in each group will move on to the Knockout Stage." The blonde combat instructor explained through the mic. "I will draw the Matches for the next round shortly after the end of this session." She finished as she stepped off the mic.

It was a Wednesday and everyone who was participating in the event, at least those who are still statistically eligible, were watching and waiting for their turns.

Groups D through J had already fought. In Group D, Nora managed to snag top of the group from Ren due to having two minutes less than Ren's final time.

In Group F, Jayne managed a shocking upset against an overconfident Yang. She kept making smart remarks every time he missed and he used that to his advantage, remembering what Pyrrah had told him during their training.

"They're going to talk down to you Jayne, but instead of thinking of it in a negative way, just imagine the faces of everyone when you prove them all wrong."

Yang's facial expression was exactly what Jaune had hoped for, slack-jawed in disbelief.

Blake had no issues in Group J, winning all three of her matches in a reasonable amount of time.

The only Groups that hadn't fought where the first three, and that was because there were at least two people from each group that were late.

Alexis and Weiss had guaranteed themselves a spot in the knockout round, but the match they were about to contest was to see who went into the next round as the head of their group.

They were both on the platform and we're only waiting for Professor Goodwitch to start the match.

The second match of the group stage had happened two weeks ago, and it really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Everyone on Teams RWBY and CFVY won their matches. Jaune was the only one that didn't win, drawing his match but Nora, Pyrrah and Ren won their respective matches. Alex and Alexis, who were still part of Team RWBY, on loan, also won their matches.

"This bout is contested under the Laws of the Game, ratified last year. Weiss Schnee from Team RWBY will face Alexis Blau from Team ARAA."

Everyone turned to Alex who was trying his best to ignore the stares he was getting from his friends.

"Begin."

They both activated their weapons, Weiss spinning the cylinder on Myrtenaster and selected her dust of choice. Her blade began spiral with her dust of choice, Ice Dust.

Alexis meanwhile inserted something that looked like a card into a small slot where her Katana, Saber Angel, was held. A click followed by a hissing sound was audible to everyone as the top compartment door opens and allowed her to lift it up and out. The door closed and the blade holder collapsed inward, so only the disk part was active.

Weiss Charged at the swordswoman, gracefully dodging a blast of ice from Alexis as she braced for Weiss' attack. What she didn't realize was the Heiress had summoned two glyphs behind the blonde and was summoning two more infront of her, similar to the setup against the Law White Fang commander on the train.

Weiss landed multiple hits on Alexis, sending her close to the edge of the Area.

Alexis got back up and sidestepped towards her, getting closer but not provoking Weiss, who was watching her with hawk like eyes.

Flaring her semblance, the disk on her forearm began to glow as piece of what looked like Armor began to cover the exposed arms, legs of the blonde, followed by a helmet and a chest piece. The helmet resembled a closed helm, but the blonde's field of view was not obstructed by it.

Weiss expression didn't convey it, but Alexis with her Aural Armour had a similar resemblance to the one she had to fight against in Atlas. She defeated it, proving to her father that she was ready to study at Beacon.

The white haired woman's emotions got the better of her and Weiss charged her again, trying to down the knight. Hopefully this time it will stay down.

Unfortunately for Weiss, she fell into a trap as Alexis parried Weiss attack and pushed her back. Getting up to her face again, she shoved her. Her semblance flared in color when her palm touched Weiss skin, stunning her for a few seconds.

Weiss didn't have time to figure out what that was because she was being pushed out to the other side, every step back she was taking was cornering her even more. Alexis slammed Saber Angel and pressed the button on the handle, expelling all the ice dust and steam dust loaded. She jumped back a few feet and loaded some fire dust into Duel Disk, closing her fist and firing into the steam. A chain reaction ensued as the steams and ice particles fused, just to be hit by the fire and explode. The explosion release more fumes, leaving Weiss at a disadvantage before noticing a glowing human size blob through the smoke running at her. She summoned a time dilation glyph beneath her to speed up time and side step the blondes attack.

The smoke disappeared and a glyph appeared underneath the blonde, only for it to shoot her up in the air. Weiss took advantage and went on the offensive, before finishing her off and sending her out of the Arena.

A shrill, high pitched sound made Weiss turn around to the source.

"This bout is over. Miss Schnee wins."

Weiss nods and bows towards her professor and goes to check on the blonde, helping her to her feet.

Alexis dusts herself off, congratulating Weiss on her victory as they went back into their separate dressing rooms to clean up.

XXX

"And so that's what happened." Alex finished explaining. Reacting to the match while explaining why they are no longer apart of Team RWBY is a lot more difficult that he thought it would be, especially when he would jerk his knee or arm whenever Alexis was hit. Not that he noticed himself doing it.

"So you guys are your own team. I can see that being an issue whenever you need to do anything team related in class." Pyrrah commented.

"Yeah! Like, if Pyrrah can take down a full team of Second years, your guys stand no chance." More interjected.

"Nora!" Both Ren and Pyrrah said in unison.

"It's true though!"

Alex just hummed, not paying much attention to her comment and subsequent bickering with Ren.

"So does this mean that you're doing field assignments by yourselves?" Yang asked as she stuffed herself with a mouthful of popcorn, a farcry from how Blake would take two or three and chew on them.

"I don't think so, we are still getting credit for Mountain Glenn, so I think they're going to make us tag along with another First Year team while we or they find us two more teammates."

"Well good luck, the deadline for new student registration is coming up, so unless you can find a pair that works together, and is our age then you two are just added weight. "

"We're helpful!" Alex defended.

"Not as much as I thought you would be." Yang hummed, earning herself a glare from the brunette.

"At least I didn't get KO'ed by a midget" he mumbled softly enough that Yang wouldn't decipher it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He said as he turned back to field, ignoring the childish 'Dickhead' comment.

Weiss, and not to long after her Alexis, returned to the area where their friends were sitting at.

"Good Job Weiss! You displayed Team RWBY's prowess proudly" Ruby praised her

Weiss beamed a little at the Praise, though quickly hid it and replied "Of Course I did." Blake nodded her head in agreement and Yang extending her hand for Weiss to high five, which she did in a graceful manner, before taking her seat next to Ruby and Blake.

Alexis meanwhile took her seat next to Alex at the end of the Aisle near the doors. The brunette noticed Alexis' crestfallen expression, probably due to the loss.

"Lex?"

"Hm?" she tilted her head towards him slightly.

"Losing isn't a big deal, it happens."

"I know, but I wanted to make a good first impression for our team. It would've been great to start our new team off with a win, you know?"

"I get it, but no use crying over spilled milk. We just have to get back on our feet and move on. Train and get better." He said as his hand rested on top of hers. He leaned in close so that only she could hear. "Plus, Weiss just got lucky with her time shift glyph. The next time you guys flight she probably won't be so lucky."

That seemed to raise her spirits as she nodded. "Right. I'll get her next time." She said with determination.

He returned her nodded as he let go of her hand, and completely didn't notice how Yang was watching them like a hawk.

Ruby went next from Group C, having to fight Tanner Foust. Her fight was mostly a one sided affair with some close calls, ones that caused a certain heiress to yell outbursts in the least 'Weiss' Like fashion that anyone has ever seen, or a knee-jerk reaction or grip the back of the chair in front of them with a vice like grip.

Because of the fact that she drew against Dove last week, she was ahead with 5 points. All Alex had to do was win against Dove and he would fight Ren in the knockout round. A draw would send him to fight against Nora. Both of whom he has experience with but if given the choice, he'd go with Nora.

But that didn't mean he would purposely throw a match to make it easier on himself later on, that's unsportsmanlike

Despite a glare from Ms. Goodwitch, he played his music again as he walked onto the field. Blake, as usual, was not a fan of the loud 'duns' and 'Dubs' that the instruments were sounding off, covering her ears as best as she could.

"This bout is contested under the Laws of the Hunt, ratified last year. Dove Bronzewing from Team CRDL will face Alexander Rojo from Team ARAA."

As he stepped onto the platform, Alexis was leaning back on her chair with eyebrows skyrocketing in surprise at what he was wearing.

Alex was wearing a midnight blue jersey with matching shorts, socks that stopped at his shin and black sneakers with red trim. On the right breast was his emblem and on his right arm was an Armband, the letter C and inside was an orange star. If he wasn't here he could pass off for a grifball player.

Yang of course knew what this meant as she gave her opinion on his attire.

"Welp, good luck to Dove. He's gonna need all of it."

"Yup." Ruby agreed, munching on her sweets.

"What are you two talking about? The match hasn't even started." Weiss said with her own raised eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"That is one of many of the outfits which Alex calls "Kits."-" She used airquotes around the word 'Kit'. " If you'd been paying attention, you know that he likes Grifball. He's really, really good at it and this is what he wears whenever he is fighting in a competitive environment."

"OK. and?"

"Well Princess, I'm glad you asked." Weiss glared daggers at the blonde but kept quiet.

"He has yet to lose in a tournament environment." Yang dropped the bombshell.

"What do you mean he hasn't lost? He lost to you didn't he?"

"I said in a competitive environment, as in there is something on the line for winning."

That seemed to appease Weiss as she stopped asking questions on the matter.

"What kind of tournaments would Signal have?" Pyrrah asked, curious.

"Nothing big, just some with the winner extra credit and whatnot."

"Then I hardly think it's worth mentioning then." Weiss said.

Yang clamped her mouth shut in order to not cause a scene with the Heiress, who was acting as if someone had shoved a stick up her uptight ass particularly hard today.

"Begin."

Dove charged at the CEO with no thought as he believed raw brute strength would lead him to victory.

Alex walked around and was making Dove take more steps, tiring him out in the process. Once Dove had slowed down enough, he charged at him while he was catching his breath. He landed a fury of kicks and some punches here and there before jumping back, kicking him away to add more distance between them. He then outstretched his palm and did a small series of hand gestures in order to begin creating a ball of Dust.

In this case the dust was Red, meaning that it had exploding properties when detonated. He overhead threw it infront of him as he began to keep pace and kick the ball infront of him. He slowed down as Dove was waiting for him.

They were only a few steps away from eachother, close enough that Dove attempt to swip Alex's legs from underneath him.

It didn't work, Alex backing up and rolled the ball to the side. He messed with the irritated teen with the ball, rolling it closer to him so he could try to swipe at it, only to pull it closer to him.

Dove was mad. "How dare this fresh meat try and humiliate me!"

The ball went through his legs, causing those watching to yell "Ole!" as Alex grabbed him from behind and threw him onto his back and over, so that he was infront of the brunette again. This Time though Alex kicked the ball towards Dove, who made the mistake of precisely cutting it in two, causing both halves to explode in his face with enough force to send him stumbling back a few feet and a stunning him, his vision becoming a blur and a ringing in his ears.

Alex called on his semblance, Frameskip pouring his Aura into a glove on both his hands before he rushed Dove and hit him with a left hook, followed by several more hits that were going to leave marks in the morning, before he spun and kicked him with the back of his heel and lifting him in the air. His air compressors released a violent gust of wind the threw him the extra two feet needed to knock him out, and with only a few seconds left there was no way Dove would be able to get that point back.

Sure enough, Ms Goodwitch's whistle signaled the end of the match, full time.

"And the winner, Mr. Rojo."

"See my point Princess?" Yang nodded at the field, Alex walking over to the locker room to clean up.

"hmph, I hardly believe that was a challenge." Weiss challenged with her nose in the air. "Once he beats a real opponent, and not some troublemaker, then you can say you were right."

While the field was getting cleaned up of debris for Pyrrah's match, Alex walked up the stairs and took a seat next to Alexis.

"What did I miss?" he said as he caught his breath and plopped down on the chair.

"Weiss got into an argument with Yang."

"So nothing then?" he said, causing the blonde to chuckle and shake her head.

"I didn't think you brought the jerseys to Beacon." Yang said as she leaned forward around Alexis.

"These aren't the same ones. I had some made in Atlas."

"Ah, that makes more sense. Though you seem to have changed your groove."

"I managed to train with City CG, so I used that plus what I learned from Signal in addition to what I learned from Tai and made this... Frankenstein monstrosity thing." He said as he gestured wildly.

"That would explain why you megged him."

"Yup. Speaking of which, who started the Ole?" Yang nodded towards, shockingly, Pyrrah. "You're joking."

The brawler shook her head. "I was shocked too, but it was her that started it."

He had shock etched on his face before shrugging and giving up on the subject, deciding to move to something

"We have that win you were talking about." He said as he got Alexis attention.

"I guess it isn't a complete loss."

"Yeah, we got the two most important results in a match, a win and a loss."

Alexis playfully elbowed him in the ribs before ignoring his apologies.

"Lex why?" he said as he faked huffed for breath.

He stopped fooling around when he saw Pyrrah get onto the field, waiting for Coco to hurry up and show up, no doubt she was making sure that she looked excellent for her fight.

They all saw the second year students on the other side of the stands cheering for Coco, while hearing Nora begin cheering for Pyrrah, causing the rest of the first years to join her. She even began passing out vuvuzelas for everyone to use.

"Oh God where did she get those? Why does she have so many?!" Alex asked as he braced for Ear Damage, handing Alexis a pair on inear sound dampeners he had apparently stored in his pockets.

"What's so bad abou-" the blonde cringed as she was immediately cut off by something that sounded like a swarm of bees, quickly putting in the dampners into her ear.

Weiss and Ruby covered their ears and cringed while Blake ran as fast as she could out and as far away as she could from Nora and her blowhorns, with Yang hot on her heels to get out of their as well.

Alex nodded towards the two running, asking the silent question of whether or not they should leave as well. The blonde nodded, so they both got up and casually walked up the stairway and followed Blake and Yang out of the Auditorium. Once they reached the outside, they both removed their ear plugs and threw them in the nearest trashcan, relieved that they were away from that God awful sound.

"Where did she get so many of them?" the blonde asked in surprise.

"I think you can get them from Vacuo for cheap if you buy them in bulk, but what the hell. I was not expecting that at all! It sounds so much worse in person than on TV! No wonder they're banned from the Vytal Tournament, everyone would be deaf or they'd just kill themselves."

Meanwhile, not too far ahead of them, Blake was rubbing at her Faunus ears in pain as both were ringing loudly from the sudden and loud sound blasted into them.

"Are you alright Blake?" Yang asked, concerned about the well-being of her partner.

"I'm just peachy Yang." She said through gritted teeth. "I just had a loud horn blasted at full strength into my ears by Nora who was sitting inches by me and because of that I have a migraine, but other than that I'm doing great" she spat.

Blake noticed through the corner of her open eye how Yang's face fell at being snapped at, temporarily distracting her from the pain for a brief second before it came back.

They walked for several more minutes until they arrived to the small dining area, while usually it would be occupied during lunch or dinner time, right now it was empty and Blake took the opportunity to rest, the ringing in her ears slowly subsiding as her hear returned.

Blake sighed as the last of the ringing went away. "Yang, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I was just-"

"In a lot of pain. It's ok." Yang nodded, a small smile on her face before turning to the workers of the small café. Some students that worked part time at the Café for some spending money. "You hungry?" She asked the brunette teen next to her.

"I am a bit famished." Blake said as she relaxed into her chair, her pain slowly ebbing away.

"Cool, I'm a tad hungry as well." A very unladylike growl from the depths of hell came from Yang's stomach. "OK, I'm starving apparently. What'll you want? I'm buying."

"Yang, you don't have-"

"I want to though." She cut her off, and before she could protest was already up at the counter ordering.

Blake shook her head and stared the opposite way. The grounds were beautifully kept, the grass green and melding perfectly with the smooth cobblestone they walked upon to get here. It struck her how calm it was when there was no hustle and bustle of people trying to get from Point A to Point B. For now only a few people were around here, lounging around in the grass or walking around the surrounding paths like a park.

She saw two people who she instantly recognized, heads of blonde and brunette hair were walking together as they looked around. The boy watching a butterfly land on his nose and looking at it cross-eyed while the Blonde smiled. Though one thing that caught her eye was their hands, they were linked together.

Blake was startled out of her investigation when Yang dropped a plate infront of her. Since when did the Café sell fish?

"I didn't know if you liked fish or not, so I brought something else if you want" Yang said as she placed a covered plate next to her. She knew what Yang meant by that, so decided to have a little fun.

"Is it because I'm a cat faunus? Yang, coming from you that hurts. I thought we were passed stereotypes." She said in the most disappointed and depressed sounding voice she could muster up.

It worked, causing Yang to panic to try and rectify the situation. "No! I wasn't trying to say that! I didn't mean it like that! I was just curious and I didn't mean to offend you which is why I brought you the other plate of food!" She explained, lifting the lid to reveal some steak. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I'll take it back-"

"Yang, I was kidding. I love fish." She said as she cut off the blonde's rambling, placing her hand over her gloved one to prove her point.

"Wait, so you weren't offend?" Blake shook her head, smiling at the blonde. "That's cruel Blake, I didn't expect that from you." She lifted her other hand and poked her with her Index finger. "Meanie."

Blake couldn't help but laugh at Yang's childish nature. She was so carefree sometimes.

Yang must've noticed the pair she was staring at earlier because she called at them. "Yo Lovebirds! Over here!" She waved at them.

She dodged a pebble thrown at her, sticking her tongue out at the person who threw it. A minute later they were walking into the 'entrance' to the café. "What's up?

"Nothing much, escaping Nora and her ungodly Vuvuzelas. I need to know who supplied them so that I can kill them"

"Now you know how I feel every time you play your music when it's your turn to fight." Blake said as she crossed her arms and her face fell to a frown.

"Is it really that loud?"

Blake only wiggled her bow, not needing to say anything for him to catch on.

"Ah…my bad." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Damn, I wonder who else was complaining about that. I'll tone it down quite a bit next time, maybe I'll even bring you to help find a suitable Volume."

"Why do you do that anyway?" the subject piqueing Alexis' curiosity.

"Her." She nodded to Yang.

She gave Blake her own apologetic smile. "Guilty as charged. It was a dare one time in Elementary school and it just stuck."

"The only good idea you've come up with, and it came from a dare." Yang cocked her arm back, aiming low as he covered himself. "I'm joking! Jesus. Violence is always the answer with you isn't it."

"Yup! If it can't be solved with Violence or these-"She looked down at her Breasts "Then nothing can solve it."

"You could throw money at it, seems to work fine for me and Weiss."

"Yeah, let me just throw money I don't have." She shot back.

"Maybe you could put those" He nodded at her Breasts "To Use?" He moved back a little, just enough out of Yang's reach.

"I'll get Alexis to hit you since you wanna' be a coward." She teased. A small tune played from a scroll, grabbing all their Attention.

Alex took out his, pushing the screen up with his thumb and unlocking it to display a text from Glynda. "It's from Ms Goodwitch. She wants to talk to us."

"About what?" Yang asked as she tried to peak over.

"Nothing." He said abruptly, snapping the screen down in place again with an audible click again.

"OK then..." She said cautiously, looking to Blake who shrugged.

"Alright, we'll see you guys later then." He said as they both started towards the faculty area.

Blake and Yang were both silent for a few minutes, eating their meal in peace before Blake's curiosity got the better of her. "Are they going out?"

"What?" The brawler said with a piece of meat in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed it before talking again. "Who?"

"Alexis and Alex."

"Oh." She said before taking a drink. "I think so, they went out a few times during the month so I think they are."

Blake nodded in acceptance of the answer, not wanting to pry into their personal lives.

Yang kickstarted a conversation about a random topic, and for some reason Blake was drawn to listen. She personally didn't care for gossip, but something about listening to Yang speak, her voice, was soothing in a way. Blake made sure to give in her input every once in a while as to not make this a one sided conversation.

And it's not like it was all gossip either, Yang made a very nice show of revealing some stuff about Weiss and Ruby. And sticking her own foot in her mouth, which while rare, Blake noticed that Yang seemed to leave off her filter with her. Which surprised Blake, because she was under the impression Yang had no filter to begin with.

Speaking of 'This', what could this be considered? Surely it wasn't a date right? Sure they've been hanging out more, Yang tagging along whenever she went to the library while unexpected was not unpleasant. She didn't book as much of a reader but she was proven wrong when she checked out a novel for her own pleasure and continued to do so when they went to the library.

Not only that, but Blake would occasionally join Yang at the Gym. For the longest time Blake simply reasoned that it was returning the favor that she didn't have to. And while she despised having to take two showers in a day because of how much she perpetrated during their workout, she found herself not minding it too much.

Plus, it's not like she didn't notice how Yang would stare at her. Sometimes forgetting that she was actually doing it.

No harm in asking, Blake supposed.

"Yang?" The blonde in question looked over from her drink.

"Yes?"

"Are there any ulterior motives to this? Not that I'm implicated there are, but I was just curious."

"Um, no. Not really." Her blonde mane shook with her head. "Just a friendly date outside with my partner."

Blake narrowed her eyes slightly, Lilac Eyes had more that they wanted to say but the owners mouth kept it shut.

"Ok" She shrugged, making Yang believe that she dismissed the question with ease. Of course she hadn't though, she had a sneaky suspicion this was some elaborate plan to "Wow" her.

And it was working. Not that she needed to be wowed by her anymore anyway.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 31.

* * *

"There is no way she has a mission ready for us." The brunette said in disbelief as he and Alexis walked over to Professor Goodwitch's office.

"I don't know, our professors are and have always been sporadic, one can even call them-"

"Spastics?"

"I was going to say Odd, but I think yours makes more sense." The blonde nodded in agreement

They were talking about what reason the Professor had for calling them, dismissing them one by one until they came to the conclusion it had to do with meeting they had with her and Ozpin yesterday evening.

Arriving at her door, Alex knocked on the door.

"Come in." Was the reply. They both braced, taking in a deep breath and nodding before walking inside.

"Ah, Mr Rojo, Ms Blau. Glad you could come. Please take a seat." She said as she got up. "Anything to drink?"

"Uh-"They both started, staring at each other in confusion. This was a different person than they were used to. In private she seemed more…relaxed.

"I'll take some Dr Fizz if you happen to have any."

Alexis followed his lead. "If you have any Nuke-Cola, I'll take that. Otherwise Water is fine."

The professor nodded as she opened the minifridge on her large stand behind her, handing the drinks in question to her two students.

"Thank You." They both said in unison as they popped the drinks open, please to see that they were just perfectly chilled.

Glynda waved it off. "You're quite welcome. While many see me as a harsh combat instructor, I am not always acting like, as Yang had said, 'as if I had a steel beam shoved up my ass.' So to speak."

Both her students nodded, surprised that she would say quote something vulgar like that, even if she was quoting another student.

The blonde instructor sighed. "I'll stop beating around the bush, the reason I called you here is because Headmaster Ozpin has already given you a mission."

"You're joking, right? No way has he pulled one out of his as-, I mean, no way he already found mission that quick." He corrected, hoping to not piss off their professor while she was being nice to them.

"I'm afraid not. And to make matters worse, we have to go to Atlas for it."

Alexis started coughing mid-sip, Alex trying to make sure that his partner didn't suffer death by chocking infront of their professor. "What?"

"He wants you two to compete in the Atlas Academy Tournament." She started, hoping that neither of them would ask for more information. Though the rational part of her mind hoped for it otherwise, as there was no way Alexander would let her use any of his company tech to break the security measures on the secure tablet scrolls.

"There is more to it than that surely, no way is he sending us on a glorified vacation to Atlas just to fight some Atlesian students."

"Correct, after what you told Headmaster Ozpin, he is suspicious about what James is doing."

"Go on." Alex gestured

"You two are to compete in the tournament as an invitee. Meanwhile I will grab the necessary information from Ironwoods's database."

"What kind of Information and from what?" The blonde asked.

"The Main Computer inside the Atlas Academy, which I assume is in Ironwoods Quarters. I will connect my scroll to the computer and create a copy and move it to my scroll for analysis."

"And how far do we have to make it in the tournament?" Alexis sighed, already having accepted that there is no out here.

"At least to the Knockout Stage, that'll give me some time to scout where the cameras are and what not. Once I do get the information, it will most likely being securely encrypted with SDC Security KNOX System."

"Say no more." Alex cut her off. "I-" He jabbed a thumb at himself. "Gotchu-" he pointed at her "-with that." He said, purposely drawing out the slang word out. "But, I get to see what the contents inside are first."

"Ozpin didn't specify anything about that, but I suppose that isn't a terrible compromise."

"When do we leave?"

"The tournament starts next week. You two leave tomorrow and are excused from all classes. I've already informed all of your professors and they are willing to ease on your assignments. I even heard professor Peach and Port joke and say that if you win, they'll just mark the assaignments as completed. " She stopped and took note of the shock on both teens faces.

"Really Now?" Alex pondered...It was a long, long shot...

"I will send you more information as I receive it." The combat instructor explained as she typed onto her tablet. She sent a few files to their scrolls for further review. "I just sent information for the tournament and your tickets. You will fly via Atlas Air In-Direct. In order to not cause any type of suspicions, I will fly out 2 days after as I need to finish up here first.

"Indirect Atlas Air? Could Ozpin not afford Atlas Air First Class with the ludicrous tuition he charges?" Alex asked with a brat like tone.

"Unless you would like to provide the transport then unfortunately no." Glynda explained as she kept typing.

The brunette sat up at that. "Is that an option? Could I do that?"

Glynda looked up from the tablet screen and raised her glasses, giving him a confused look. Alexis had also turned to face him in confusion.

"I mean, I don't see why not." The blonde professor started "Though we aren't liable if anything were to happen to you on that flight."

"Alex, what are you on about? It's not like you have your own Airship."

"Mind giving me a few hours to think about that transport? I might be able to get something better. And If I can I might be able to fly you out as well"

The professor raised an eyebrow, but ultimately shrugged "I suppose I could, but I need an answer before tonight."

"Got it, is that it?"

"For now yes, review the rules of the tournament. I will fully brief you two when we first meet up in Atlas."

"Understood" they both answered as they got up.

"Thank You, both of you. I believe this will be the only time we do any mission of this sort." They both nodded and walked out of her office.

"He really pulled a mission from his ass." Alex said in shock as he turned to face the brunette "That is impressive"

Alexis rolled her eyes "Hardly."

"Yeesh, you really don't want to go back to Atlas."

"It's not that, it's just that the Atlas Academy is in the center of Atlas. And everyone there is just…."

"An asshole, douchbag, or somekind of person who believes they are above all because they have money."

"Yes to all." She answered back.

"Yeah, I know. I negotiated with the Academy Technician to supply the academy with state of the art hardware for their students and the arenas and my god, if it wasn't for this-" He pointed to his emblem "being displayed, I might have snapped at someone."

"See? I hate people like that. Then you have people, both guys and girls, who give you perverted looks wolf whistle and shit like that."

"I did notice that…I think. I didn't really pay much attention to the students there. I just went in, made the guy fill some forms and got out as soon as possible. And for you to swear like that, it must be really bad."

"I'm telling you because it happened to me. I've had people harass me and my friends, and if it wasn't for my brother stepping in I might have gotten in trouble a lot more often. Even a few of his friends got harassed by a few girls who were even more handsy than some of the guys I delt with. I'm going to tell you this not to boost your ego, but because it will actually happen. If you do wear that 'Kit' that you wore today in Atlas, you will be approached by girls that will try to get handsy on you."

"You did a terrible job at not boosting my ego a little." He tried to lighten the mood. "That boosted it a little bit. Just a tad. Plus, Yang told me that if I liked some pretty girl that I should approach her…" he said, trying to rile her up.

Unfortunately it backfired, badly.

"Yeah, because you totally followed her advice, you were the one to come up to me and talk to me right? And the one who made the first move." She said with a raised eyebrow.

Alex promptly shut up, and stayed quietly the rest of the walk back, his ego having been completely decimated. Alexis laughed at his deflated look. Alex regained a small smile from that. It wasn't a complete loss if he heard her laughter. A few bruised egos is totally worth listening to that.

Arriving at their dorms, they put their bags in the storage closet and pulled out their suitcases from the closet and began their packing. Well, Alexis did. Alex pulled his scroll out and made a phone call.

Alexis watched through the corner of her eye as he pressed the scroll to his ear and waited for the other line to answer. Where was he calling to?

 ** _"Hey! Yeah, I'm doing well. You?"_** Silence ** _. "Well no shit I don't call, we video chat every night!"_** He laughed at something the other caller said. " _ **Fair enough, I suppose I could call like normal but yeah."** _ He was silent as he listened to what the other line said. " _ **No, I was wondering if you could send a mail order for a trillion lien."** _ He chuckled at something. _**"Seriously though, I was calling to see if you could send an airship for a pickup."**_ Another brief silence from the boy. " _ **No, I'm not having second thoughts. Though I will explain what we're doing."** _ He went silent again. " _ **Yes 'were', Alexis is going as well. It's a quote unquote 'School Related' activity."**_

Alexis perked up at the mention of her name, said in that Mistrlaian Accent.

'I won't lie, that sounded pretty sexy…' the blonde thought, those dam teenage hormones beginning to display themselves.

 _ **"Oh, look at you sounding all high and mighty. 'My assistant and I will come too'."**_ Silence from the boy. _**"Hey, that tone of voice is rude is and is frankly could be the grounds for dismissal."** _ Alexis picked up on a feminine voice on the other end, and how he laughed at something 'she' said. _**"OK, alright. Seriously though, how fast could we get an airship here?"** _ Silence from the boy. _**"I thought you were serious anyway."**_ Quietness. _**"Tonight? That quick?"** _ Alex glanced at his blonde partner before bringing the scroll back to his ear. _**"Uh, give me a second to check."**_

Alex pushed the screen up and began typing on the physical keyboard. He looked up to the blonde, who had finished packing and was packing his stuff now. "You don't have to do that Lex, I'll pack up after."

The blonde shook her head, her hair swishing side to side with her head. "It's alright, you're busy and I don't mind."

The brunette smiled, and Alexis found herself smiling back. "Sometimes, I wonder how lucky I am. Thanks, I'll make us some lunch. Unless you wanna go out?"

"Your cooking is better than where we went last time." She said, shuddering at the memory of her undercook meat slathered with a hint of impending food poisoning.

Alex gave an apologetic shrug. "I mean, you suggested. But at least we didn't die?"

"Yes, because surviving a field excersie is nothing compared to surviving food poisoning right?"

"Correct." Alex told the blonde as he snapped the screen down and returned to his call.

 _ **"I got a go-ahead for tonight."**_ Garbled words. _**"Ha Ha very funny."**_ Incoherent words, though she did pick up the word dating.

He then reverted to speaking english "Yes, we are. Thank you for noticing."

The brunette continued. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Because…" "Because…." "Because these things weren't issues up until know!" "Piss Off." "No I haven't" "Fuck You" That was clearly in English "Fine, fine. So that Airship then?" "OK, let me know when you're ten minutes from landing." "Yes." "Alright, take care. Bye."

He pressed the red end call button on screen and shoved the scroll into his pocket, seeing Alexis laying on his bed.

"You seemed to be a little agitated."

"Nah, just Rei being a smartass."

"Rei?"

"My assistant. Well, when I say that I mean Vice President of the company."

"I like how you just nonchalantly drop that fact. 'No big deal, she's just VP to one of the biggest companies on the planet, no biggy." She mocked him, imitating his higher pitched voice.

"I do not sound like that!" He said indignantly. Alexis just laughed and shook her head.

"How you became the company leader I'll never know."

"I'm smart for my age thank you very much." He said and pouted. The President of a major company was pouting.

"Alright, alright. So you mentioned lunch." A loud growl filled the room, and the brunette teen burst out laughing as Alexis blushed in embarrassment at her stomach.

"Yeah, I'll get started on something. Any recommendations?"

Alexis got up from the bed, thinking about what they could eat. "I don't know. What do you want?"

Alex instantly shook his head. "Oh no, we aren't doing this again."

"What?"

"The last time you said that, we were barely able to get to our destination on our second date. You shot down every single idea from Seafood to a Burger Joint. Which is why I'm asking you what you wanted."

"Fine." She shrugged "How about some seafood then?"

"Shrimp?" The blonde nodded in agreement. "Great! That only took us an hour and 40 minutes less than it took us to choose our second date location!"

The blonde rolled her eyes, but said nothing as she followed him to the kitchen. She took a seat on the island as he started on defrosting. She took out her scroll and turned on the small TV that was hanging on the wall.

* * *

VNN

"And with the breach of the railway having been sealed, questions are being asked on how this was possible if the kingdom had sealed sectors of the rail line leading to the city."

The new anchors commented on other smaller new before switching to a different topic.

"And now, Sports! In the Vale Major League Grifball, CG Varcelona are just a win away from claiming the league title in record time. They have a clearance of 27 Points above second place BVB and will secure the title with a loss of BVB today or a win tomorrow."

"In Mistral, a riot broke out in a Stadium during a Grifball match in the State of Nuestro Salvador in protest of the State Government. The government has been ignoring many calls of action, manly to do with the lack of proper access to clean water and lack of available medical facilities in the state. Most of these were promised to be rectified if President Alberto Negrosa were to be elected. Since his election last year, the State has spent millions of lien on the renovation of it's stadiums in preparation for the Grifball Club World Cup and the Copa Defendores Combat Tournament, where the final for both the Grifball Tournament Final will be held and where it is possible one of the matches for the Combat Tournament will be held."

"And in Atlas, City CG are a few points of a way of clinching an Atstralian Cup spot before Christmas, and they must win or draw with Aston losing against Bayern."

"While we are on the topic of Atlas, the Atlesian Combat Champions League qualifications are heating up as the final round of qualifying is set to begin next week. One Team from each of the two top academies in Atlas, Atlas Academy and Academia Atlesia, will begin their own tournaments to decide who they will send to the Champions League this December"

* * *

"Atticus wanted to be in it." Alexis said, grabbing Alex' attention.

"Hm?" The brunette turned around, seeing Alexis focused on the TV.

"My Brother, he wanted to compete in that tournament."

"Really?" Alex said as he tilted to face her, glancing at the trophy being displayed.

"Yeah, but it wasn't about being famous. If you qualify and fail to make it out of the group stage, you still get a good chunk of money. He wanted to at least make it to the group stage that way we wouldn't have to worry about our financial situation."

"Right. But didn't you say he got a good job in Manchester?" He asked as he prepped the other ingredients.

"Yeah, he works as an assistant for some company, at least that's all he told me. "

"Fair Enough, he just wants to surprise you is all."

"Yeah, but I don't know what he's doing. He could be in danger! You know with the White Fang, the MS Extremist and the Vacoune Mafia. They all hate the Atlesian companies and he could be in danger."

"Or you're just being a little overdramatic. He'll be fine. He has combat experience and an unlocked semblance I assume?" The blonde nodded in confirmation. "Then he'll be fine."

"Heh, I guess I was overreacting a little." She said as she scratched her nose. "It's just that, he's the only family I have left. You Know?" Alex nodded.

"I understand, but he'll be fine. If what you told me the other day is true then either he'll deal with them or just end up killing himself in some weird freak accident with a snowcone or something."

Alexis chuckled. "Yeah, he nearly did poke his eye out with that snow cone."

* * *

Once they finished their lunch, they had decided to go to the training facility to get some proper training time as a new team. They were currently fighting some bots set on the hardest difficulty. Having been there for a few hours now, they kept raising the difficulty level

"Lex, Left side under." He told her as he caught a bot trying to surprise her from the corner of his eye. The blonde put Duel Disk infront of her to block the attack and used her Saber Anger to swipe the bots legs underneath it.

Alex was having to deal with another bought who was acting sporadically. Pressing a button on the buckle of the watch, a blue squared shield appeared and was taking the brunt of the Bots attacks. Every hit on the shield would result in a 'Thump'. The bot backed away and it's armed turned into a gun and began to fire at him, the thumps now being replaced by the sound of Plexi Glass being shot at.

He arm was beginning to tire out from the amount of force he was having to block. As the bot kept shooting at him, Alexis went around and took it out from the left side as it was too distracting to notice a flank.

Another bot began to shoot at him and he raised his arm to block it again, but after a few seconds the shield began to break apart. The bullets having done enough damage to start penetrating the ballistic defense. He took this as a cue to go on the offensive and blocked what he could with the damaged defense. He bashed one of the bots, stunning it before shoulder charging it to knock it down.

As it was getting up, a ball rolled past it and blew up. Covering the bot in a casing of Ice.

"And that's that!" Alex said as held the button on the buckle of his watch, causing a small disc to pop out the bottom. He picked it up as he looked at the bots they had defeated.

"What is that?" Alexis nodded to the piece of glass that was broken in Alex's hands.

"It's what made that square ballistic shield possible. Dust goes through the glass like a projector and reinforces the glass, then it's projected by the watch and bam. Instant Protection."

"I like how you still haven't given your weapon a name."

He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing a bit. "Yeah, it's just that nothing comes to mind. You know? Like you have Duel Disk and Saber. Those make sense since you have Saber and a Disk. And those are connected by a bridge, which is worn by an Angel." He said, trying to flatter the blonde woman.

Some would say it worked, judging by the blondes smile and a shake of the head. "Aren't you just a Charmer? Why don't you name it something based on Tech?"

"Like Project XE-17B115? It isn't exactly the easiest name to say aloud."

"I was thinking more like…more like Frameskip." Alexis snapped her fingers.

"Frameskip? How'd you come up with that?"

"It's a combination of timeframe and Skipping Frames. You know, like every time you forgot to plug in your computer before you start to play a game, then complain about your frames skipping everywhere."

"Frameskip." The brunette mumbled, rubbing his chin in thought. It didn't sound bad at all, why didn't he think of that? "Looks like I found a name for my weapon. Thanks to you, know I don't have to keep referring to it as 'My Weapon' or 'My Watch'!

"You're very welcome."

They looked around and saw that the bots had all gone back into hibernation mode. All except the one that was in the Ice Prison. It had melted, but the bot was reacting weird. The boy went over and shut it off manually and moved it with the rest of the bots in the corner. "So, now what?"

Another Growl from one of their stomachs answered their question. "It seems that answers our question."

"I could whip up something quick before we get picked up?"

"Nah. If I keep making you cook for me then I'll get addicted to it."

"But would that really be a bad thing though?" he asked as he pulled his shirt so that it wouldn't stick to his sweaty skin.

Alexis couldn't help but notice that the shirt he was wearing was a little transparent due to his perspiration. She tried her best to not stare at his abdomen as it looked a lot more firm. Gaining definition.

"Lex? You ok?"

"Oh, yeah. I thought I heard something else behind you."

"Ah, thanks then. You never know what could sneak behind you." He said as he tossed the glass in the garbage. He already had designs for more anyway. Raising his wrist, the now dubbed "Frameskip" displayed the time by producing a hologram on screen.

"That is pretty cool." Alexis watched as he turned his hand palm up and the buckle restarted the hologram. It looked like he was holding a scroll in his hands, though with a blue hue.

"Thanks, it was pretty hard to make it all fit in this form factor. But I did so I'm happy."

"How much would that cost to implement into this?" The blonde asked as she raised Duel Disk.

"I can give you a quote for Ⱡ 27,000." He teased her as he scrolled through his messages.

"Yeesh. No discount for being a partner? "

"Ⱡ $26,950"

He laughed as he smacked the back of his arm, crossing her arms and pouting. "Gee, a Ⱡ50 discount. I'm saving so much money."

"I'm kidding. Once I get back I'll see what I can do."

She nodded as they kept walking back to their dorm.

Arriving at the door, as soon as the lock scanned Frameskip to unlock the door, both Alex's scroll and Frameskip start to ring and vibrate simultaneously. Alexis watches as he takes his index and middle finger on his left hand and puts them together, like a finger gun, and presses it to his ear and extends all his fingers straight.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alex, were in Vale Airspace and were calling to let you know that we're about 20 minutes from our landing zone."

"Now? It's only…" He checked the time and brought his hand back to his ear. "It's only like 5:30."

"We left after you called."

"Right, alright then I guess. We'll be out in 30 minutes."

"I said we'd land in-"

"Bye!" and he closed his hand, hanging the call up. Alexis watched as he placed frameskip next to his scroll and quickly threw off his shirt, tossing it into the bin and giving her a very good view of what his workout had left behind...

"Are they already here?" Alexis asked as she looked away, trying to distract herself.

"Close, about 20 minutes off. Which means we have about 10 or so to clean up plus the 5 to say goodbye to everyone. Hopefully they brought food otherwise we're landing in the center of Vale." Alexis shook her head with a laugh, thinking the brunette was joking. "I'm not joking, I'll make them stop at a Subway if they didn't bring any food."

"They?"

"Rei said that she brought someone with her, I assume her assistant."

"Ah."

He nodded as he grabbed and threw a change of clothes onto the bed. A longsleeve undershirt and a black t shirt, a pair of navy blue denim relax fit jeans and his underwear. His logo on the left leg.

Alexis did the same, though she placed her attire more elegantly than he did. It consisted of her usual black turtle neck and vest, but instead of a skirt she opted for a pair of jeans, like her partner. And similar to his, hers had front pockets she could fit things inside of! She brought out pair of navy boots to match the pants.

As they were both undressing, Alex got a glimpse of Alexis unzipping her boots and throwing them in the corner, followed by her socks. He couldn't stop himself from staring at the blonde's feet.

Alexis had no idea that he was staring at her, too busy changing out of her sweaty attire and grabbing a fresh set of clothes. As she grabbed her towel, she then noticed that the brunette was staring…downward? As if he was looking at the carpet near her feet.

"Alex? You ok?"

"Huh? Yeah! Just grabbing my towel." He said a little to eagerly, causing Alexis to grow suspicious. They both grabbed their towels and headed to the bathroom…

"Um." The blonde bit her lip. They had agreed to use one bathroom and leave the other one for an emergency and both their stuff was in the one bathroom.

"Let me get my stuff and ill shower in the other bathroom." He said as he quickly grabbed his toothbrush, bodywash and shampoo. He tried to subtly glance at the blonde's feet through the corner of his eye, hoping that Alexis wasn't noticing.

Alexis watched as the CEO grabbed his stuff, though again he was glancing at the floor near her feet again. She would have to ask Yang about that later, so she paid little attention to it as he finally filed out.

"Alright, all yours!"

Alexis gave him a nod and walked inside to strip herself of the rest of her clothing. As she started the water, she looked down at her feet wondering what was causing Alex to look down at them. She shrugged, dismissing some weird idea from her head as she got into the shower.

Meanwhile, in the other bathroom, Alex was mentally cursing himself for his lack of self-control in these types of situations.

'Fuck.' He groaned to himself. He could see the gears in Alexis head turning through her eyes as she gave him an odd look the two times he was caught. He might be pushing his luck. "I need to stop doing that." He said aloud to no one in particular. He started up his own shower as he stripped himself of his own clothing, jumping into the cold water in order to wake him up and snap him out of what he was doing.

As they both lathered, rinsed and repeated as quickly as they could, Alexis was the first to come out of the bathroom, surprising even herself. She quickly dried herself off as best as she could and put on her underwear and started to get dressed.

Alex left the bathroom 2 minutes later and was mostly dry as he started to get changed himself. While the blonde was fixing up the last buttons on her vest, she stopped and admired the boy's mostly naked frame.

Alex was too busy getting changed to notice the blonde staring at him. He put on his own socks and pulled up his shirt, abandoning the longsleeve and leaving it on the hanger. He pulled up his jeans, and put on his shoes.

Alexis walked to the bathroom and began to apply the slightest bit of eyeliner and pink lipgloss, the only type of makeup she uses unless puberty blesses her with pimples. And as usual grabbed just a little bit of Alex's hair gel. Completely forgetting that Alex was also in a rush and in the bathroom.

"You use my gel?" He asked, though it sounded curious.

"Oh, I forgot you were in here." The blonde bit her lip but ultimately nodded and told the truth. "Yeah, it keeps my hair like this." She gestured to how her hair went straight and curved at the middle of her back, the gel kept it still like that instead of the locks being loose. "Sorry."

"It's fine, but that does answer why I was running out of it faster than usual since I got here." He said as he grabbed a little bit himself and slicking his hair back having had it cut recently which meant he used less than he did normally. He grabbed his comb and ran it to keep his hair in line, instead of just slathering it and running his hair back. This time his hair was slicked back in an organized fashion, a look that Alexis had told him "Suited him well." Ever since then he's been rocking that style.

They both washed their hands and left the bathroom, closing both doors to both bathrooms. They started last minute checks, just in case.

"Frameskip?" Alexis called out as she brought out her suitcase from the closet.

"Charged and at 100%. Duel Disk?"

"Check. Scroll and wallet?"

He stuffed his scroll and wallet into his pockets. "Affirmative, Scroll?"

She looked up and patted her hip. "Yup."

"I guess that's it then."

"What about your laptop?" Alexis watched as the boy's eyes widened.

"Your right!" He said as he grabbed his laptop and unplugged it from the wall. Alexis was expecting him to unzip his suitcase and shove it in there, but was shocked to see him open his drawer and pile his underwear over it to hide it instead. He closed the drawer and caught the look Alexis was giving him. "What? That way no one will steal it, why would they check my underwear drawer?"

"Don't you need it?" The blonde swordswoman asked.

He shook his head in response "Nah, this'll do mostly everything." He lifted frameskip.

"Alright, if you say so."

"Yup. Now we just have to tell the others that we're leaving."

"And if they asked questions?"

"Classified."

"I doubt that'll deter them."

"It won't but it will probably stop them for a little while."

She nodded as they started to walkout. He flipped the light switch off, only the light of the setting sun behind the curtains was the source of illumination. He closed the door and brought frameskip to the lock, hearing an audible click and the word "ARMED." From his wrist.

Approaching the next door, he looked at the blonde and took a breath before knocking. There was an audible "Just a minute!" which no doubt was Ruby. A few moments later, the girl in question opened the door for them. "Alex! What brings you here?"

That perked everyone up as Weiss, who was sitting at the desk with an open textbook, Yang, who was on Blake's bunk and reading a magazine, and Blake, who looked up from her novel, all turned to the two of them.

"Fuck…"He said silently as he rubbed the back of his head. "I-We, just came by to say we're leaving. BUT only for a few weeks."

"Where are you going?" Came the question from the blonde on the bed, getting off the bed.

"Atlas."

"What?" Alex cursed as he forgot Ruby was still holding the door. "You're leaving again?"

"No Ruby, it's not a company thing this time. Glynda has something for us to do there for a few weeks, she's coming with us too."

"And why hasn't she told us yet?" Weiss asked.

"She will, tomorrow... I think."

"And why?" Weiss asked. Even she was curious.

"It's a mission, apparently we didn't get out XP credits for helping with Mountain Glenn." He lied, hoping Alexis would pick up on it.

"We all got credit for it."

"Not us." Alexis explained, picking up on the lie. "That's why we left when he got that text yesterday. It was Ms. Goodwitch giving us our mission."

"Yeah, but all the way in Atlas though?" Blake had put her book down.

"Either that or Azerbaijan." All of Team RWBY visibly cringed. "Yeah…" He trailed off.

"Has she told you your mission?"

"I assume Grimm Clearance, but it could be anything."

"Right, you never know with our professors" Yang agreed.

There was an awkward silence for several brief moments before Ruby gave the boy a hug, followed by his blonde partner. "Take care you two! Bring us back souvenirs."

"Yeah! I want one of those little pony thinges in a snow globe! " Yang said as she grabbed Alex in a gentle hug, followed by Alexis. "And don't die! The last thing I need is finding out your right arm made it back but not the rest your body."

"No promises. But I'll try not to." He said, noticing the rare stern look that Yang was giving him.

"Alright, I guess your Airship is here?"

"Yeah, we just wanted to stop by and say goodbye, didn't want to cause panic or anything."

"Considerate. Anyways, we'll leave you guys to go off then! Like I said, be careful!" Yang said, her tone sounding like a mother telling a child to be careful.

They both nodded as they waved to Blake and Weiss before leaving. Ruby closed the door and zipped back next to Weiss, a little bit closer than she was when she got up but the heiress didn't seem to mind too much.

Yang sat back in Blake's bunk as she wiped a fake tear from her eye in mock acting style. "They grow up so fast."

Blake just rolled her eyes at Yang's playacting, but smiled at her overreaction. "They're hunters in training, they'll be fine."

* * *

It was now around 6pm, and the private airship had landed on the pad. The ship was a private class luxury air carrier, meaning it was smaller than the commercial Airbuses sold by PN Motors or Boeing. Instead of propellers, the airship uses 4 smaller Vertical Take Off and Landing engines as its system. The outer body of the Airship was mostly blue with white accents, and the PNA logo displayed at the back wing.

Once the Airship landed, the rear hatch opened to the ground, revealing the walkway that lead from the interior to the hatch, which was mostly barren except for a fire extinguisher and another company logo.

A door inside the Airship closed and two figures walked down the hatch to wait for the other occupants. They both looked to be teens and were dressed in casual clothing that suited their style.

One of them had Nordic blue eyes and long blue hair that ran loosely to her mid back and bangs that stopped above her eyebrows, midnight blue tresses waved in the breeze behind her. She was wearing a red vest sleeveless vest and was zipped up. Underneath she was wearing a black shirt with orange accents that went from sleeve, continued up the threading on her neck and the entire collar before coming down to the other sleeve. Her skin was darker, about as dark as Alex. Around a Caramel-ish complexion one can say.

The sleeve on the left arm of her jacket contained her emblem, a burning Grifball. The outline was orange, the filling was blue with white hexagonal patterns and the flame was an Iridescence, meaning it changed color depending on what angle you were looking at it from in.

Her lower half was covered by a matching red skirt held by a brown belt that had pouches, containing vials of dust inside. Underneath her skirt she was wearing blue biker shorts that stopped above her knee, a white accent on the threading on her right leg and her emblem on her left leg, though it was higher up so it was hidden by the skirt. To finish off her outfit she was wearing Red Hightop Sneakers that had a black slits on the outsoles, the laces were black and the little tips were orange. On her wrist was a red band with the inside lining being orange and a black rectangular glossy piece that would face her when she brought her wrist up. A small, monochrome display lit up with the time.

"He said he'd be here when we landed." She told her male companion as she crossed her arms, annoyed at the fact that Alex was making her wait.

"Chill Rei, he'll be here. Besides, if he doesn't get here in a few minutes you said that I can go surprise my sissy!" Said the male figure next to her.

"Which is why I wanted him to be here right now, because you'll be touching and breaking everything."

He made what he thought was a sexy face "That's not what you said when I was-"

SMACK.

Rei slapped the boy, hard. Leaving a large hand print on his right cheek and causing him to whine in pain as he tried his hardest to not weep.

The male figure in question had dark brown eyes and long brown hair that went down to his was neck with, mostly straight until the end when it curved away at a slight angle. He was wearing a short sleeve midnight blue jacket had white accents on the sleeve. The collar of the jacket had a snapclip system, the collar itself was white with blue threading. The snap and button were mostly white with the center circle being blue. There was a white outline that started from the collar, before joining at the zipper portion near his upper chest. The shape of which was similar to an upside down house.

On his right breast was his emblem. It was an Arrow from a Compound bow, filled in with Iridescence. At the tip was a Red Star inside a blue ball, and the number 0 next to it. Dividing them was a small 'x', so it looked like ✪x0.

He had on shorts that matched his jacket, with the white accents at the end of the legs a white stripe on the left side threading. Finishing off the outfit were shoes that at first looked like lowtop sneakers, but the soles were tougher as if they were boots. They were blue with the outsoles being white, the laces being white and the thing at the end of the laces being blue.

On his left arm was his weapon, a long, curved scythe blade that was connected to an Armgaurd that fit snugly onto his wrist. The blade when joined together was curved in a boxy fashion, but as of now the blade was in two pieces and inside the armgaurd inserts.. There was a small line in the center of the blade when connected, as if a thin stick could fit there. The Armguard itself had some decorations on it, like another copy of his emblem, but nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing weird was that there were small hooks on the interior part of the blade, one on each side of the small joint that connected the scythe to the armguard.

"Rei, why?" He cried, crocodile tears falling as he rubbed at his cheek.

"Because you're so perverted!"

"But you weren't complaining about that last night!" He defended himself.

"Atticus, sometimes you're insufferable." She said with red tinted cheeks as she pinched her nose. She saw that he was about to open his mouth to say another perverted thing and raised her hand, causing him to 'eep' and stand up board straight and far enough away that she wouldn't reach him easily. They stayed silent for a few moments more, allowing Atticus face to stop hurting and Rei's blush to subside.

She eventually got impatient and pulled out her scroll. She pushed up on the display to reveal the blue physical keyboard and start typing an angry text message, stopping midway through and deletied it before closing the screen down with an audible 'Snap' and dialing the person instead.

Two rings later, the person on the other line answered. "Hello?"

"Where are you? We've been waiting here for a while now."

"When did you land?"

"6 oclock."

There was a silence on the other line, followed by a sigh. "It's literally been like two minutes. Since you landed."

"Yeah, I know. And you said that you would be ready by then."

"No, I said I would get ready by then. If you check your call log, you'll see that I never mentioned-"

Rei cut him off his BS defense "Alexander Rayo Rojo, if you don't hurry your ass up-" He cut her off this time, hearing a feminine giggle in the background of the call.

"Wait, is that them?"The brown haired teen pointed to two silhouettes.

Rei looked up the pathway and spotted two figures walking towards them, suitcases in one hand and the other's hand with their free hand. Rei's scroll beeped twice, signaling the call was disconnected and pocketed the scroll.

"Wait, is that? Lexi?!" Atticus looked in disbelief as she saw her sister walking towards them.

"Atti?" Alexis gasped, letting go of Alex's hand as she dropped her suitcase and ran towards him. He did the same and the two met in the middle, the brunette sibling spinning her around causing her to laugh aloud. Alex picked up her suitcase, watching with a raised eyebrow that had no jealous meaning in anyway...at all... and walked towards the airship. In front of the door was the person that had shouted his full name loud enough that even Alexis heard during the call.

"Took you long enough." Rei told Alex as he walked up and placed the suitcases in their designated compartments.

"It's nice to see you too Rei…" He sighed as he shut the compartment door. He turned to face her and was surprised as he was embraced by the blue haired woman. He returned the embrace, not noticing that Alexis and Atticus had finished up and were walking up the ramp. Nor did either see the raised eyebrow, which again had no jealous meaning in anyway...at all/

"Ahem." Atticus cleared his throat, causing Rei to break the embrace. She walked over to his side as Alexis moved closer to Alex.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Atticus said as he punched the button to close the door.

"Right." Rei nodded in agreement as she pressed a button on her wristband. "Ben, we are all inside and ready for takeoff."

"Understood." They felt the ship jolt violently as the jets started up, a humming sound the only audible notification that the engines were running.

"Alright, let's get inside. It gets cold in here." Atticus told them as he opened the door for everyone to walk in, locking it and making sure the airtight seals were secure before sliding the wall covering the doorway to give the illusion nothing was behind it.

The cabin was small, fitting at most 20 people. There were seats in pairs next to the windows for up to ten people before transition to sofas that could fit up to two people. Finally there was a small table in the center with six seats surrounding it.

They each took a seat around the table, Rei sitting next to Atticus on her left and Alex on her right, Alexis was sitting to Alexs' left side and the empty seat on her right.

"Alright, so why did we need to-"

"Wait, wait wait." Atticus cut Rei off. "Are you not going to introduce me to your Boss? The richest teenager in all of Remnant? That happens to be my sister's partner? Him?" He pointed to Alex.

"Of course, how rude of me." She drawled. "Alex, let me introduce you to my assistant and significant other, Atticus Blau."

"I would like you to address me by my actual position at the company thank you very much." He scowled at her before turning to Alex.

"Pleasure to meet you." Alex said as he extended his hand

"Oh no, trust me the pleasure is all mine." He said as he firmly shook his hand with much enthusiasm.

"So…" Alex had his patent pending shit-eating grin, which Alexis both despised and liked at the same time, which was directed at the blue haired woman. "You never mentioned that you were seeing someone Rei. Has he been taking up all your free time?"

"No he has not thank you very much." She said as she turned red again, matching her jacket. "I get my work done before doing anything else."

Atticus interjected with something that happened a week ago "What about that one time last week when-"

SMACK.

She smacked him in the face with a newspaper that she pulled out from underneath the table and kept smacking him with every word. "I. TOLD. YOU. TO. NOT. EMBARRASS. ME. INFRONT. OF. MY. BOSS." She smacked him one more time for good measure. "His signature is on both our paychecks! Idiot."

He turned around to face the other two, a red mark doing down his face. Alex with smile of humor at the events that had unfolded and Alexis, sighing in disappointment at his brother's inability to not embarrass himself or her in public. "I'm Sorry, I'm sorry. Rei definitely does all her work before play." He told them, though it was directed at Alex.

Rei then remembered that it wasn't just them on board and turned to see both of them. Alex watching in amusement and Alexis watching with both shame and a little amusement. She laughed nervously before hiding the newspaper underneath the table again. "Alex, could you please stop grinning like an asshole." She sighed.

"This was way more entertaining than the Champions League."

"Ha ha, very funny. Why don't you introduce me to your partner then?" Rei nodded towards his left.

"No problem. Alexis, this is Ritsa Azure. She's my assistant." He said, earning him a smack in the head, startling the blonde and causing Atticus to laugh at his expense.

"Don't you start as well." She said, threatening him with the newspaper.

"Alright, alright. Alexis meet Celina Azure, the Vice President of the PNA and current Person in Charge of Day-to-Day Operations at the Central Office in Manchester, Atlas. Celina, meet my partner and-" He stopped, looking over to Alexis to ask her the silent question.

'Should I tell them?' he raised an eyebrow, hoping she'd understand the question.

'Sure.' She nodded, giving him a small smile. Both Atticus and Rei watched the silent exchange before Alex turned back to face Rei.

"Meet Alexis Blau. My Partner for the time we're attending Beacon and my Girlfriend." He said, blushing as he said it aloud. It was the first time he had actually said it in front of Alexis as well. Alexis extended her hand for Rei to shake.

"Call me Rei, It's nice to meet you. You're certainly more civilized than your brother." She glared at him.

Atticus' eyebrows skyrocketed upwards, but nonetheless had a grin on his face. "What's this I hear? My baby sister had a boyfriend~! And the richest person her age in all of Remnant as well?" Alex knew where this was headed and turned to the blue haired 'newspaper' wielder, mouthing to her to hand it to him. She did, before he handed it over to Alexis. "Who knew my sister was a gold-digger-"

SMACK

She smacked him in the head with the newspaper with every word. "WHY. CAN'T. YOU. STOP. EMBARRASSING. ME. Everytime Atti! Everytime!" She groaned before handing Alex the rolled up newspaper back who then handed it to the blue haired teen, who then put it away and Helped Atticus back to his seat after having slipped out of it.

"Why am I close to two of the most abusive people in the world?! Male Domestic Abuse is real!" He faked cried. The blonde and blue haired woman both face palmed, Alex just watched with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway-" He sat back up "…Alex, I would like to congratulate on finally cracking the final pieces of the wall around my sissy heart." He began, causing Alexis to groan and drop her head to the table. Alex tried his best to calm her down, rubbing her back to ease her suffering. "She dedicated her time in Atlas to transfer to Beacon, I was worried that she wouldn't get to have a normal teenagehood, so to speak, as she already had a less than fun childhood. And even though your rich af, I'm sure that you'll do nothing to break my sister heart, right?" He said, his tone reaching a threatening level that Alex was not expecting in the slightest."

Alex wasn't deterred by it though, nor by the dagger eyes he was being given. "Of Course, I will do my best to make sure that she's happy in every way possible because I'm a placid, easy-going, kind-hearted, saintly sort of fellow...shut up" He pointed at Rei, who was about to say something against that statement.

"Hm, I'll take your word for it…for now. But we're going to have a talk sometime later." He said leaning back in his chair with arms crossed.

"Atti…" Alexis growled at her brother, waning him to not do anything rash.

"Calm down Lexi, we are just going to have a small 'Big Brother Protective of his Baby Sister' talk…soon."

"OK!" Rei said grabbing all their attention. "So Alex, mind explaining why you needed a pickup?"


	31. Chapter 31

"So Alex, mind explaining why you needed a pickup?" Rei asked as she crossed her arms and leaned forward on the table.

"We needed transport for our mission." He explained simply.

"And what is this mission of yours?"

"Classified."

"Alex, don't give me that 'Classified' BS. You know you can trust me."

"I know that, but I don't know about him." He nodded towards Atticus.

"Hey! I'm good with secrets!"

"Like the time you said you wouldn't tell anyone about my liking that Anime?" Alexis said with a raised eyebrow.

"Or when you nearly leaked one of our designs?" Alex raised an eyebrow at that claim.

"Guys, I promise. My lips are sealed." Atticus explained to them, pleading with his eyes to his baby sister and Girlfriend.

Rei sighed, he was good with secrets…aside those incidents. "Alex, you can trust him. I'll make sure that he won't say a word."

The brunette hummed. "Lex?"

She bit her lip and turned back to Atticus, who was giving her the 'Kicked-Puppy' look. She caved in and nodded. 'Yeah.'

"Alright. But if you tell anyone about this, you" he pointed at Atticus. "Will be fired and you-" he pointed at Rei "Will be working non-stop to clean up the mess that he makes, and then getting fired."

"What about Alexis?" Atticus asked, Alexis glaring lasers at him throwing her under the bus.

"She will get a stern talking to, and I will think twice before considering any of her requests."

"So we get fired and she gets a 'stern talking to?' That's unfair!" He whined like a child.

"I can't fire her from being my partner. She gets a special pass for that" He said explained. The blonde beamed happily, sticking her tongue out at her brother like a child.

"But I don't right? Even though we've known each other for most of our lives?"

"That is correct."

"So much for the term, 'Bro's before Hoes'" She mumbled to herself, no one hearing her.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Stop trying to change the subject, explain why I had to come and pick you two up from Beacon and are going to Atlas?"

Alex complied, leaning back on the chair. "Recently, Headmaster Ozpin separated us and formed our team that we are in right now. Team ARAA. At the time up to yesterday, we were 'On Loan' with Team RWBY. We were a part of that team since mid-august when we both arrived. Once he separated us, we then told that we'd have to go on another mission."

"Another? Have you guys already been deployed to one?" Rei asked them.

They both nodded, though Alexis started explaining. "Last month actually, we were sent to Mountain Glenn to clear some Grimm and had to deal with a White Fang hideout. They opened a hole in the center of the city."

"The breach?" They both nodded. "I heard about that. No one died but a lot of people were injured."

"Yeah." They both nodded as Alexis kept explaining. "Ozpin saw that we were burdening Team RWBY, as a team consisted of four people and having six meant that the team leader had to choose who would start in a spar. Training was harder, etc. So he separated us."

Alex took over again "Once we agreed to leave Team RWBY to form ARAA, Ozpin told us that we had to on a mission. At the time, he didn't tell us when or where, he just told us to be prepared. We actually got our briefing today. Apparently Ozpin is suspicious of General Ironwood, so he sent us to Atlas Academy's Hunter's Champions League Qualification Tournament in order for us to cover our Combat Instructor and Chaperone, Glynda Goodwitch, to extract information from Ironwood's network."

"She's going to leave the day after tomorrow, giving us a day and a half free. She did this to not raise any suspicions on what we could be doing."

"Wow, my sissy is a spy!" the brunette said with hearts in his eyes. "I'm so proud of you!" he hugged her tightly, crushing the air out of her slowly.

"Atti, please." She gasped.

"Sorry, but seriously that freaking cool!"

"Who else is on Team ARAA? Wouldn't they know you're gone?" Rei asked as she pried Atticus's arms.

"Well, it's just us two like I said. We haven't really been able to find to others yet. There was this whole process they did a few days before we were deployed to Mountain Glenn to find two other people but it was dropped…" He explained to Rei as an idea popped into the blonde's head. He looked at her brother, then at Rei. But before she could make the suggestion she needed to know if the blue haired woman had any combat experience.

"Alex, I'm sorry to interrupt." She gave him an apologetic look before turning to Rei. "Rei, if you don't mind me asking, do you have any combat experience?"

"It's no problem. I do have combat experience, yes. I attended Sanctum Academy."

"What? You never told me this?!" Atticus looked shocked.

"Yeah, I was in the same class year as Pyrrah Nikos." Rei shrugged, she didn't see it as a big deal. The Athlete was a nice person.

"Alex, I think we may have just found our two candidates." The blonde whispered to the brunette as Rei argued with her brunette.

"Them? I don't know. Rei has the experience but hasn't been in action in sometime, and Atticus…well, you can make that judgment call. Nonetheless, you're still eagle-eyed for noticing them as possible candidates. There you go again thinking a few steps ahead of me." He complimented her, making her beam at him. "I'm pretty sure Ozpin made a mistake with the leadership roles, I wouldn't have noticed the opportunity."

"Nonsense Alex, don't say stuff like that. I just thought of it right now." She responded, not noticing that VP and her assistant had stopped arguing and had turned their attention on watching their interaction. Though when he saw the brunette get a little too close to her baby sis, Atticus stepped in.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat, causing both of them to blush as they realized what was about to happen.

"So, Alex." Rei asked, looking at her nails before lifting her gaze towards her boss, Blue eyes dancing with mirth. "What uh…what were you two talking about just then? Hm?"

"Actually, I'm glad that you asked. Alexis-" he gestured to the Blonde. "-just brought something to my attention. Since we need two teammates, and you two seem to have the combat experience that Beacon would gladly take." Alex grinned as he saw her face turn into one of surprise. "She suggested that you two should join Beacon."

"Wait What? I don't know about that. I mean, I run the company while you're gone!" Rei said, trying to downplay her excitement at the prospect. She was studying to attend Beacon before having to shift her attention to the PNA.

"Yeah. Besides sissy, im pretty sure you don't want your big brother to go with you to Beacon."

"But I do! We both wanted to go! But then you had 'that' and stopped training. Come on Atti!" Alexis begged, giving him her version of the 'Kicked Puppy' look. He didn't even need to stare for more than a few milliseconds before caving in. "Plus you even wear your weapon still!" She pointed to his arm.

He sighed. "I mean, it isn't a bad idea." Atticus shrugged, turning towards Rei.

"Yeah, plus you had filled out most of the paper work for Beacon. I could call Ms. Goodwitch and have you put into the system by tonight before the deadline."

"Deadline?"

"Yeah, after today no one can be accepted into Beacon until the next registration period after the Vytal Tournament in August. Don't be difficult Rei, Atticus already caved in."

"But who is going to run the company while I'm gone?"

"I distinctly remember you explaining how I've automated most of the Day to Day operations to the poin you literally do almost nothing but a few video calls and paperwork. We can both do that at Beacon, I've been doing it since I got here." He explained, hoping to her onboard.

"What would we have to do? I doubt it's as easy as just calling your professor and saying 'Hey, we found two people that could fill our team up. Can they join?' There has to be a catch."

"There is, you two will have to do an initiation once we get back."

"An initiation? Like being jumped into a Gang?" Atticus asked.

"N- Well…Kinda? Basically, you are flung into the emerald forest and have to find the chess piece and bring it back to the Headmaster."

"Flung? Like off a catapult?" Alexis and Alex both nodded. "And how do we land?"

"You have to use your landing strategy."

"Basically land face first?" The brunette asked.

"If you think that's a good landing strategy, then yes."

"What do we do in the forest after landing?"

"You kill some grimm, grab the piece and get back. That's as simple as it gets. Though do pay attention where you are and where you came from, they won't send help and they disable your electronics so that you can't call for outside help. It's to weed out the weaklings basically."

"I see, sounds easy enough." Rei nodded.

"The only thing is that the Grimm don't take too well to being used as transport. We had to use a nevermore and fly it around the school to get back to safety."

"Wait, you two rode a nevermore?" Atticus asked, even Rei was slack-jawed.

"Yeah, it's not as fun as you think though."

"That's fucking impressive though!"

"So?" Alexis asked them with hopeful eyes.

"I'm up for it. Rei?"

"I mean, Alex did bring valid points. And running the company abroad isn't uncommon as it was before. It's just been so long since I've been in action."

"I've seen you fight, you'll adapt just fine." Atticus scoffed. "Plus, you do look good in that Grifball outfit you used to wear." Atticus then cringed and blocked from the inevitable smack that was coming his way.

When it didn't, he opened his eyes to see Rei in thought. "Alex, could we talk for a second?"

"Sure." They both got up and went to the next room over, closing the door.

"What do you think they're going to be talking about?" Atticus said as he leaned back in the chair.

"I don't know, but if I had to guess probably some details about the company." She responded as she swiveled in the chair, looking at how nice the cabin actually was.

"Since they're gone, I've been itching to ask you about Alex…' Atticus began…

X Inside the Private Room X

"Alex, I am onboard with the idea of coming to Beacon." She began, causing Alex to smile.

"Really? That's great!"

"But there is an issue…RIM." He made a face of understanding "It'll be difficult to keep them under wraps. They are all loyal, and grateful for a second chance at life and wouldn't give this up for the world. That's something that not even Apple has, but…"

"Have they been acting up?"

"No, it's just that we would need to have someone as their caretaker while I'm gone."

"What about Rin? She's scarier than you and she could keep them in check faster than even you or I, besides she said she needed a job. So there, kill some birds with one stone."

"Right. That wouldn't be bad, though I would still need a few days with her to explain."

"Its fine, you two won't be fighting in the Tournament anyway so you can do that while we are on our mission."

"You know, we figure out solutions to our problems the minute they pop up."

"And you said automation was a bad idea." He laughed, shaking his head at the memory of getting yelled at when he proposed the idea of streamlining Day-to-Day operations "So you really want to come to Beacon?"

"Yeah. It'd be great. Plus you and Alexis did make valid points, really the only thing left is for you to call your professor and filling out some paper work." Rei said, excited at the prospect of finally attending Beacon.

"Honestly, I thought I would have to put up more of a fight to get you to agree. You seemed pissed when I was leaving."

"Yeah I was. You were going to leave me in charge, by my lonesome self, while you get to continue to train. You can see that I was a bit miffed."

"…understatement of the Year, nearly had my head on a stick." He said as he uncrossed his arms, stopping her before she could retort. "Alright, let's see if we can get everything sorted before we land."

"Actually, we won't land until tomorrow."

"What? Why? You guys flew to Beacon in 5 hours!"

"The engines were overheating midway through and we need to replace them, which is why we are going so slow." Rei nodded towards the window. Alex went to look and sure enough, they were flying at helicopter speed.

"Has PNM not figured out this yet?"

"It's the lubrication factor, dust can't lubricate well enough to keep the engines clean and cool enough. And water starts to boil so it's useless, and we would need to double the weight of the engines just to keep enough dust to cool them off." She explained.

"Right, and that's why you run the Vehicles Division and why I run the consumer electronic division of the PNA" He said as he opened the door, allowing her to walk out first. They were both met with the sight of a red faced Alexis covering her ears.

"LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU ATTI LALALALA"

"Come on lexi, think of all the fun things you can do with leather straps and chains and-Hey guys!" He waved at them.

They both raised an eyebrow at what was going on.

"I was just telling Lexi of all the fun things you can use leather straps and-" the blonde covered his mouth with her hand, wincing as he licked it.

Rei blushed in embarrassment, poor girl had to suffer through one of Atticus' sexy time story times, no doubt with her involved.

"Alexis, did he tell you-"

"Yes, he did. And he was very, very, VERY, descriptive." she trailed off.

"Tell her about what?" Alex asked, reminding them that he was right there.

"Nothing!" both girls yelled in unison.

She pushed her boss so that he took a seat next to his partner. "Why don't you guys print out the forms and we fill them out, while you call Professor Goodwitch to tell her about us." Rei said, changing the topic

Alex nodded sent the documents he had on his scroll to the printer, making a loud noise as it began to print out two copies of all the forms they needed to fill out. He then placed his scroll flat on the table and dialed Professor Goodwitch on Frameskip. The others went into the next room and started to fill them out.

"Hello?"

"Professor Goodwitch, its Alex. I'm with Alexis right now."

"Ah yes, have you two left Beacon?"

"Yes."

"Good. But you won't be briefed until Friday, so you have a day free tommorrow. There was no need to call me. Unless it was to inform me that you two departed, which could have been done by a Text Message."

"Well, you see… We kinda found two other teammates. At least, I hope they can be." He explained nervously.

"I see, unfortunately I would need to interview them personally and unless your scroll can do holographic projections I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Mine can do that." He pointed , pressing a button on the scroll and bringing up the hologram of Glynda. Besides the little scanlines, it was an accurate representation of their Combat Instructor.

"I see. I will discuss this 'Modification' with you at a later time, for now though could you bring in the two people in question then? I just received some documents and transcripts."

"That was quick, hasn't even been five minutes." He nodded before yelling at the two in the other room. "Yo Rei! Atticus! Get over here!"

"Couldn't you just get up and tell them?" Alexis sighed.

"Can't be bothered to get up."

A few moments later, the blue haired woman and the brunette both walked out of the next room. Their hair and clothing were slightly disheveled and wrinkly, causing Alexis to blush and hold her face in her hand

"Professor Goodwitch, meet Atticus Blau and Celina Azure." He introduced them both to her. "Guys, this is our Combat Instructor Professor Glynda Goodwitch."

"Hello."

"Hello. I see you two have just submitted your registration forms to just now, with copies of your last transcripts from Atlas Academy and Sanctum Respectively." She said as she tapped on her scroll tablet. "Everything seems to be in order, but I will need Mr Rojo and Ms Blau to leave, for privacy reasons, while I interview Mr. Blau and Ms. Azure."

"No problem." Alex said, taking Alexis by the hand and leading her to the next room over.

"Don't do anything Rated R in there!" Atticus said as he waved at them, causing Alexis to groan and her face to darken again. Rei elbowed him as the professor eyed them once the door audibly shut.

Alex took a seat on one of the leather chairs, swiveling it to face the window. Alexis decided to act on a gutsy call, sitting on his lap and surprise the CEO.

"Oh?" He said, smiling as brown met hazel. Lips turning upwards "Why, hello there beautiful"

"Beautiful? Well aren't you just a charmer." Alexis said, waving off the complement. "But truly, you're the handsome one." She insisted.

"Me? Don't start with these ludicrous notions." Alex responded, caressing the blonde's cheek and bringing her face back to look at him. "But please, do go on. I heard something about me being handsome?"

"Where do I even start?" She mocked gasped "We'll be here all day!"

"What a relief! Good thing you didn't ask me to start otherwise we'd be here all week!"

"If you say so." Alexis said sarcastically, leaning closer to the brunette.

"I'd take you up on that if I didn't know that you don't want to be here all week." Alex winked at her. "So, what's up pretty lady?"

"Hm." She contemplated. "Us. In the sky."

"Nice one." He said as he shook his head in amusement.

"Hm, I thought it was good." Alexis trailed off as she leaned forward, grabbing Alexs' shirt as their lips were inches from meeting…

-SLAM-

"Guys! We're in!" Atticus slammed the door against the wall as Rei sighed. They both noticed the compromising position they were in, Rei turned red and turned away while Atticus had the biggest shit-eating-grin of all time.

"Did my sissy know that we were going to get in and decided to celebrate a little early?" He wiggled his eyebrows in a way he thought was sexy. "You could have at least closed the doo-"

Rei smacked him in the back of the head, causing him fall forward. "Atticus, you said you would behave." She growled.

"But teasing my lil sister wasn't part of that agreement!" He whined like a child. "Besides, what kind of older brother would I be if I didn't?"

"A Better one…"

"Nonsense!" He turned to the two, who were red and hadn't moved away. "Anyway, the scary blonde lady said that we just need to get our pictures taken at any post office and give them to her and we should be ready to roll! I can't believe I'm going to Beacon!" He almost squealed like a teen girl. "Training with the best, seeing new types of Grimm, change of scenery, all the hot wom-" He heard a distinct growl, signaling for him to swiftly change topics. "So yeah! We'll be moving in with you guys after you get back." He finished explaining. "I'll just let you two finish your se-" SMACK "I'll leave you two alone…" He said, nursing his head. Before he closed the door, he made a gesture and mouthed 'I'm watching you.' To Alex as he turned the lock and closed the door.

Alexis groaned and rested her head on Alex' shoulder. "He is insufferable sometimes."

The brunette rubbed her back gently, feeling her relax. "Yeah, but he loves you dearly. I find him to be on a level similar to Yang if I'm honest."

"Yeah, I feel really bad for Ruby now." He just laughed, though Alexis could have sworn he was about to say something before.

He pushed her away slightly so that they were face to face, he was caressing her cheek gently and looking into her eyes. "But he's still family to you, so you don't hate him like you say you do. Plus, he's happy that he can finally join Beacon. And you're happy too, I can see it. This was what you guys wanted."

"Yeah, I guess." Her frown slowly started to disappear as he raised an eyebrow in the slowest way possible, Alexis couldn't help but smile at his silliness. "Damn you, I can never be mad at anything when you're around. Let me sulk in peace."

He shook his head "Nah, a frown doesn't suit you. A smile does though." She couldn't help it as hers grew. "Like that. And you know what else suits you?"

"What?"

"This-" He squeezed her sides, causing her to yip before a torrent of giggles came out.

"Alexxx nooo" She said as she clamped her arms down on his hands, keeping them there. He stopped after a few seconds, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"I like your laugh." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Alexis huffed as she regained her breath, her face tinted pink. Alex glanced at Frameskip for the time, they had been in here for the better part of 15 minutes and while he was sure neither of them would mind being in this private room, he was sure that Atticus was gossiping to Rei about something regarding them.

He tilted the blondes' chin and finished what she had started before Atticus had walked in, pressing his lips to hers. Before she could return it, he pulled away as he got up with her in his arms. She squeaked as she was picked up bridal style before being placed on her feet, stunned by the kiss.

"You look surprised." He teased her as she unlocked the door, grabbing both occupants attention.

"You're done? That was a quickie then." Atticus said as he leaned back. Alexis' face burned with embarrassment at his comment as Alex rolled his eyes and pointed at Atticus.

"Rei, what is he on about."

"Beats me." She lied. Atticus held his tongue as she gave him a stern look. Alex narrowed his eyes suspiciously before deciding that the topic probably wasn't work digging for. Alexis noticed the look as well before turning to Alex in confusion. Surely he knew what Atticus was insinuating? She mentally noted to ask Rei later, maybe she had answer.

Instead of sitting at the table, he walked passed and decided to take a seat on the couch. "Did you happen to bring any food?" He asked as he used his scroll to turn on the small TV. Alexis took a seat next to her brother as they all swiveled their chairs to face him.

"Actually, we brought some subs. But since we aren't going to land in Atlas until tomorrow, I was thinking we land in Mistral and drive the rest of the way there. There are a few dealerships we could stop by to pick a car."

"You guys spend money Willy nilly all the time?"

"Nah, only on special occasions. Like when he was officially named as CEO, or when I was officially named VP. Or when we broke the Ⱡ750Million Mark last year."

"I remember that! Man, you were so excited that you threw me onto the bed and-"

-SMACK-

The VP blushed scarlet as she put the fan she pulled out of nowhere away, contemplating whether or not to fire him herself.

"Wait." Alex said, sitting up and facing the two of them. "How long have you two been together? 'Together-Together'?"

"Actually, he brings up a good point Atti. You never did mention to me that you were going out with someone." Alexis added as she got up and walked over to the couch, taking a seat next to Alex as they both raised a black and blonde eyebrow.

"Heh." He chuckled, recalling the embarrassing moment of how they met. "We've been together for a little over a year now."

"Yup, and he is just as insufferable then as he is now. He has improved a little. Now that you bring that up, why don't I tell you guys how we met? We already know how you met, so it only seems fair."

"Rei, you don't have to-" Atticus tried to save his pride, but she was having none of that.

"We were involved in a car crash. Nothing big, just a fender bender." Rei said with a look of amusement.

"Atti! I told you to be more careful!" Alexis scolded him.

"I was in a hurry for my interview!"

"For what?"

"For a Job at PNA." Rei explained. "We, well more like I, needed a helping hand around the office since One Alexander Rojo decided to leave to Vale. I posted the job opening in a specific place and somehow he found out and contacted me first. He crashed into the back of my Mercedes, his shitty car not having enough brakes to stop the box of metal." Atticus just scoffed, but said nothing. "We parked at a nearby coffee shop to exchange insurance information and he mentioned, more like babbled, that he was in a hurry for an interview at the company. I asked for elaboration and imagine how shocked I was that the person he crashed into was his interviewer. We went inside and I interviewed him at their in the Coffee shop."

"And I got the job! Though my first paycheck was halved to pay for the damage to the car." He grumbled in annoyance, casting a glance to the blue haired woman and stickling his tongue out.

"Then he had the gall to try and charm me by using the Shittest, and I do mean the lamest, attempts at pick-up lines that I have ever heard. And that says something, I remember how he-" He nodded to the person sitting next to the blonde "-tried to make conversation the first time we met in person."

"I was 10! Let it go!" He groaned, leaning back on the couch.

"Never. Still, Atticus was terrible at it."

"But it worked, didn't it?" He beamed at her.

A smile graced her features. "It did. Somehow. Fast forward a year and here we are. I'm even thinking of making him our model for company products."

"Yup! The love master will now be a master model too!" He puffed his chest and jabbed a finger at myself. "The women will be all over me."

"Yeah, their body parts most likely." Rei crossed her arms, her smile gone and replaced with a look of 'Try me.' "Plus, if your sister can convince Alex to keep doing it, I can have two people modeling our products, much better than one. More Diversity" She said with a smirk as her boss paled.

Alexis raised a surprised eyebrow as she turned to Alex, who was glaring death and misfortune to the Blue Haired VP. On the other end, she just held a smug grin of victory as she watched Alexis turn to face the CEO with confusion and curiosity.

"You used to model?"

He groaned, sitting up again. "Why do you and Yang keep bringing up stuff around Alexis that she doesn't know about?"

"You didn't know that?" Rei asked, surprised at the fact. Atlas and Mistral recently started printing the magazines, so either Vale hadn't done so or were doing so right now.

"I forget Rei." Atticus said, Alex wanting to punch that Shit-Eating grin off his face right now. "Was he shirtless and pants less in one of those?"

"Only in the one when he modeled the Everything Proof Earbuds, he was in a speedo. Oh! He was also in a form fitting shirt when he modeled a Watch when we collaborated with Tag Heuer." She said as she had her own shit eating grin. "But Yes Alexis, he has modeled. It's not for sexual magazines or stuff like that, mostly for our ads in Magazines-"

"-Or the internet" Atticus added.

"That too. It's just for our products. He's ignored countless inquires for his services from other Companies. The only others he's worked for were Tag Heuer, and Blackberry since we use their products."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" She asked, faking mock hurt. Though she was a little less than happy at the fact that she didn't know that there was pictures of him on the internet. That didn't mean that she wasn't going to look for said pictures….for 'Research'

"Because I didn't think it would be necessary information that would be relevant in our relationship!"

"Heh, I already know what my sissy is going to use those pictures for." Atticus sing-songed.

"Atti!" She shrieked, her face turning redder than Ruby's Cape.

"If you want, I can send a copy of the unedited pictures. I have them on this Micro SD Card labeled 'Convenient things that I can use to Blackmail and or Threaten Alex with.' Plus, we all need each other's numbers since we are part of your team now."

Alex pretended to play dead and looked up to the roof of the Airship as Alexis and Rei exchanged information, and pictures. The blonde returned to her seat a minute later with a copy of all the Pictures of her Partner, most of them were of him wearing a suit but there were some very juicy ones in there.

There was on particular set that she liked. He was modeling a set of Accessories for the Blackberry Argon Scroll, along with wireless earbuds and a wristband. His hair was a little longer but he was in a suit that wasn't button up, she could see the tanned skin behind the shirt and slacks. His eyes were as if he was looking at her directly, brown eyes clearly boring into her hazel.

"Jesus Christ." She breathed out, causing her red face to stay red as Atticus gawffed in laughter. Even Rei couldn't hold back a snicker.

"Looks like Lexi found a very specific picture she likes quite a bit."

Looking at Alex, he was conveniently looking away at the other TV. Alexis could see that a pink hue had taken to his right cheek, no doubt the other was the same.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if she was in a similar state of dress." Rei added in amusement.

Alexis noticed how his entire face burned, he was no doubt thinking about that. And while she wouldn't like the pictures to go public, she was thinking that she wouldn't mind doing it JUST for him. Her face burned at what that could lead to, her thoughts leading her to the same place they've been leading her since their last date. And while she knew it was too soon for that…hormones always thought otherwise…

Alex turned back to face the blonde, both their faces flushed at the other's amusement. "Do you think I should keep doing it?" He was serious, despite his blush.

"I-I mean, it sells products. Doesn't it?"

"It does." Rei answered "Blackberry alone reported over 7 Million scrolls moved in one quarter alone, just from that ad which was only in one magazine. Tag Heuer's new Smartwatch sold 5 Million. It was so bad it caused a manufacturing halt due to lack of available parts."

Alexis was torn. On one hand, she didn't want anyone to see what even she hadn't seen yet. But on the other, if it was selling, then why stop? But then it clearly made him uncomfortable, but on the other hand she got to see him in clothing that he wouldn't wear otherwise.

"I mean, if its good advertising then I don't know why you shouldn't keep doing it. But if you don't feel comfortable then you shouldn't have to do it either." She added, not wanting him to feel pressure.

He just hummed. "Plus, you said you'd do anything to make her happy. So would posing nude for Playgirl or something-"

"Atticus, behave."

"Sorry…I'll shut up now." He said as he noticed the glare Alexis was giving him.

"I'll think about it I guess." Alex said as he turned to look at Alexis, who hadn't noticed as she was still glaring at Atticus. He placed his hand over her own and rubbed his thumb on her hand, making her glare lessen in intensity. She sighed and leaned back, her glare dissipating in intensity like a Hurricane making landfall.

They were silent for the next few minutes, the hum of the engines being the only source of noise as it carried them through the air. Alexis reclined back and was leaning into Alex as he watched a Grifball Replay. He didn't seem interested in it too much as he started to rub his hand up and down the blonde's arm, shifting so that they were both comfortable.

Rei and Atticus had moved to the opposite couch facing the other two, Atticus deciding to check his scroll as he rested his head on Rei's lap. She meanwhile was also half-heartedly watching the Replay as she ran her fingers through Atticus' hair. It was mostly peaceful, that was until there was a violent jolt and the screens were replaced with an advisory screen. The intercom made a small beep, informing them of an impending announcement from the flight deck.

"Passengers please be advised, we are currently dealing with extreme turbulence and have taken a detour due to low fuel levels. We will now be landing at Aeropuerto Sandivar."

Both Rei and Alex cursed loudly and at the same time. The airport they were going to land in was in the State of Nuestro Salvador, which meant they were about to land in a country at the peak of its civil war. Both Alexis and Atticus looked at them and at each other's partners with confusion, only for them to be nervous at the looks of skepticism.

"We have arranged two vehicles, whose location will be beamed to your scrolls immediately." The robotic voice finished explaining.

"Guys? What's going on?" Atticus sat up as both Rei and Alex began to check their weapons, Alex activated frameskip as Rei checked on Timestamp, the small wristband with a screen on her wrist.

"Alexis, is your weapon loaded?" Alex asked, his voice taken an authorative tone. Being held in the dark like this, the reaction from the announcement and now this? Both Blau's were having thoughts now.

"Yeah." The blonde answered, activating it. The Saya holding her katana extending to full size and the circular forearm guard expanding slightly.

"Atticus, you have ammo as well right?" She asked as she inserted the small Dust clip into the side of the wristband. It was no bigger than the tip of a pin and no wider than a few centimeters.

"Yeah? Why? What the hell is going on?" He asked as he activated his weapon, ReSpawn. The two blades snapped together violently and swivled around so that the sharp blade faced away from him, it made a small noise and the small slits glowing indicating that it was ready.

"Well our Autonomous pilot seems to have decided, very conveniently, to land in a State which is at the peak of its civil war."

"Can't we just get a car and leave then? Why do we need our weapons to be active?"

"Atticus? Civil War means we could be caught in the middle of a firefight. We need to be ready to fight our way out if need be." Rei explained as she tied her hair into a ponytail with an orange bandana.

"Plus, the Council of Mistral has closed the Border surrounding the State, which means they'll try to get us and basically toss us back into this hell hole. I've given orders for a refill and for this to take off immediately." Alex explained as he went through diagnostics.

"Our cars are GTR M3 and a Aston Martin Vanquish-"

"Dibs on the Vanquish!" Atticus called out. He noticed the glare that they all gave him. "Sorry."

"Whatever, we'll take the BMW."

"Alright, we were going to eat, but might as well take it to go. Here's the plan, we can't stay in the country as we're too close to the bridge taking us to Vytal. Currently, they're traffic on that bridge and we'll get caught." Rei explained as she brought up the live feed of the Vytal Freeway, it was dark but they could clearly make out the brake lights of many cars. "Our Only option at this point is to take the Atstralian Skyway. It's open right now and we can outrun the police to it. From there on out it's around 200 miles of perfect pavement. Fuel won't be an issue as there is a fuel stop on the Atlseian side of the Skyway."

"You're suggesting that we outrun the cops, and head for the border? That's insane! We aren't criminals." Alexis tried to reason with them.

"Alexis, they won't let us leave at all. They closed the borders last year because gangs began to cause trouble in the Neighboring State of Calixeco." The blue haired woman explained to her. "Our cars are in the closest Hangar, Hangar 3. As soon as we land we make a run for it. The cars are safe as the doors are reinforced at the windows are as well."


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note: You can't do the following: Drive a car at a High Speed on a Cliff Road. I'll leave you to interpret that how you will.

* * *

They all heard a dull thunk and turned to the source. There was a small dent on the body work of the engine on the left side. Another 'thunk' was heard and the engine began to smoke as the Airship was descending to its landing location. Another thunk was heard on the right side and Alex saw that it was also being hit.

"Snipers are killing the engines. We need to jump. How high are we?"

"Not that high, only a few hundred feet."

"Only?" The long haired brunette asked mockingly. "Well gee, that seems great."

"Think of it like this, you could practice your landing strategy when you do your initiation." Alex said as he grabbed the bag of food belonging to him and Alexis. He opened the wall that hid the rear compartment and grabbed their bags, thanking their luck that it was all in carry-on bags. "Listen, I'm going open the hatch and as soon as the door begins to swing, jump."

"Are you insane?" The siblings asked in unison.

Suddenly, another violent jolt hit them as they felt the Airship begin to tilt to one side. "DO you want to die here?" He yelled at Atticus over the failing engine noise. He shook his head in panic. "Then we're jumping."

He hit the emergency hatch button, breaking the glass and causing the bolts that secured the door closed to explode and the door to swing open. The ground was about as high as a five story building, but either they jump or they risk injury or death from the Airship that was still taking fire.

Rei looked and nodded, taking Atticus by the hand and jumping. Her landing strategy was simply as shoes slowed her descent with empty dust compressors, causing air to be expelled.

"Alexis, you ready?" He asked, seeing her mortified face. "We'll make it out of it, I didn't mean for this to happen."

She nodded, trying to add some humor to the situation. "Ok, but if we make it out of here you owe me another date."

He smiled, pressing his lips to her head. Another jolt caused Alexis to jump from the force and hit her head against Alex's nose. She heard a curse as he pulled back.

She looked down again and gulped, it was still a high fall. "Alright, let's do it." She said. He nodded, giving and oddly nasally order to 'Brace' as they jumped out of the Airship, the wind hitting them as they fell. Alexis felt the descent slow down as she hung on for dear life to him, not noticing that he had her bridal style. She braced for impact and felt the world spin as they both landed awkwardly and fall, the force dazing her slightly as she tried to regain focus.

Alex helped her to her feet. She shook her head to try and get her mind to work again and noticed that there was blood on his shirt. Fearing the worst, she released a breath as she realized that it was only a bloody nose.

She took her surrounding in and noticed that they were behind some crates, Alex trying to glance around and look for the hangar. She opened the small compartment on top of her disc and pulled out some gel and a small cotton ball.

"Alexis what are you doing?" He asked her, she deduced that he hadn't noticed that he was bleeding yet."

"Your nose is bleeding. Hold still for a second." She inserted the small cotton ball into his nose.

"Ah, what the hell is this?" It stung and burned at the same time!"

"It'll stop the bleeding and disinfect any cuts." She explained as she also looked for Hangar 3. She saw two figures, one with a blade running into it. "Over there!" She pointed, getting Alex to notice and see both Atticus and Rei making it safely inside. It was about 1000m to the hangar and another bullet just whizzed by.

"Alright, this is the plan. You lead and I cover."

"Why?"

"Because I can protect us." He pointed to Frameskip, Alex remembered the small, convex like shield that he used in the spar.

"Be careful, please." She said as she kneeled, preparing to run.

"No promises. As long as you're fine everything is fine." He said. Alexis looked at him in shock, but couldn't say anything as they heard the universal sound of a rocket being fired and bolted. Alex activated the "Coverage" A Feature on Framerate and a split second later a blue convex shield formed infront of them. Said shield that started to get pelted by small arms fire.

Alexis heard small 'thuds' and 'clink's' as they were getting closer to the hanger. Both their legs were burning but was drowned in adrenaline as they closed in on the hangar, and they could both see Atticus and Rei with their doors open and weapons pointing at the hanger to cover them. They both tapped into whatever extra energy they had left and gained a little more speed every step felt like three as they were closer and closer to their savior.

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering grabbed her Attention and she turned her head to see that the top part of the 'Riot Shield' had been shot away, the convex dust protection having a massive hole with sharp edges around it.

"Keep going!" Alex urged her on, trying his best to feed Aura to the shield to try and cover the damage. It was working as it began to close the gap.

Unfortunately, the sound of glass shattering was heard again as the right side of the horizontal black stripe was shot with a high caliber round, shattering that part as well. Another glass shattered as the bottom right was chipped away.

The sound of a large piece of glass breaking was heard as the 'Riot Shield' failed, shattering into tiny particles as they entered the hanger. A bullet whizzed by and it nearly hit flesh.

"Look, as touching as the moment is we need to move. The border is open right now because the government is moving trucks into the State so this is our only chance." Rei explained. Atticus was already buckled up in thir.

They nodded and Alex started their repective car, pressing the clutch and turning the key to bring the engine to life. Alexis buckled up and took notice of how nice the inside of the car was. Something was wrong though…

She saw through the windshield as both Rei and Alex ran towards the hanger doors and unlatched them and pulled them open, just so that the cars could fit through. They quickly ran back to their respective vehicles and buckled up themselves.

"Alex, are you insane? You could've gotten shot doing that! I just removed a bullet from your arm, I can't remove a rocket from your chest!"

"We needed to open the gate! How else were we supposed to do that?!" He asked as he followed Rei, shifting into first and Revving high as the car gained speed, passing through the gates and into the Mistralian night.

"I could've done it." Alexis said as she held on tight. She pressed the lock on the door, the locks slamming down on each side as he kept pace with the Car ahead.

"Hell no." He said firmly.

"Why? You don't think I can do it?"

"I know you can do it, it's just that I'd rather get injured than risk you getting injured." He said as he shifted into the next gear and hit the gas, them being a car-length away from the car with his brother in it. Alexis opened her mouth to retort, but the sight of Tank cut her train of thought as they swerved around it. The mounted canon shot ahead of them, blasting concrete into the air. Alex kept pace behind the Rei as she was leading them to the exit of the Airport. As they crossed the gates, he made a sharp left and both cars followed a road that had a sign saying 'City of Nuestro Salvador Perimeter/Border.' The distance was a mile and there were no cars on the road. Both vehicles engine revved up and both drivers put the gearboxes into top gear. The cars responded by going faster.

Alexis leaned and saw that the speedo read that they were doing 130 Miles an Hour on the isolated road. She gripped her hands into the door grips.

The Bluetooth system began to ring before it answered automatically. "What is it "

"We have another problem. The road from the Skyway to the City of Gibraltar is Closed because of an accident, which means the only other way to get into the country is by taking exit 1S and going through Independence Pass. Though we will get to Manchester faster this way."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan."

"But there is a caveat to that too."

"We cannot catch a break today." Alex shook his head.

"Independence pass is closed because they are blasting the area due to excess snow. Avalanche Risk"

"We don't have much a choice do we?"

"Not unless getting caught is one." Rei said.

"This is gonna suck. Thanks for the heads up." Alex hung up as he leaned back in the seat. He saw Alexis holding onto the door grip for dear life. He placed his hand on hers, which was on the center console. It did little to calm her due to the situation that they were in, but it helped none the less.

"What does that mean?" She asked, referring to what Rei had explained to him.

"We have to take another route into the country, there's some big crash on the skyway." He said as he brought up the map, tapping on the camera icon he could see the extent of the crash. A big rig had flipped and they had closed the skyway to try and move it without risking anyone's life. "That is why we have to go through Independence Pass."

"That mountain? But Rei said it's closed because they're blasting it."

Alex said nothing as his eyes were on the road, Alexis realized what that meant. Not a second after, dull thump was heard on the driver's side door. They saw that someone was shooting at them from the border crossing tower.

As they approached the border crossing, the gates began to close. The gates were steel and if they crashed into it, the car that crashed into it would be totaled. They were closing slowly as Red lights began to flash. Alexis felt the car gain speed again as Alex pressed a button on the dashboard and shifted into 7th. The car ahead also shifted up another gear and they both accelerated passed 150.

A few guards began to wave at them to not cross as they approached, the gates already being halfway shut as the wheels moved slowly. As they approached the gate, they aimed at the open gap. The Aston went through with no issue, beginning to slow down. The BMW was scratched by the gate as it managed to squeeze out. Alex sighed in relief as Alexis opened her eyes. "We made it." He breathed, Alexis nodded absentmindedly at the close call.

The Bluetooth System rang again. "We made it. I just got word that border control just called the Police. They have our cars makes and plates, which means we need to find somewhere to ditch the plates."

"Can't we just get to the gas station and throw them into the water?"

"That's what I was thinking. Follow my lead, the Skyway isn't too far from here but we will have some company." She said as she hung up.

"This was not how I envisioned my night going." Alexis said as she checked her seat belt.

"Neither did I. I was expecting more of a romantic dinner along the Cariviera. Since I found out that Rei has Atticus, I would assume he'd weasel in a Double Date as well." Alex said. The blonde nodded, but that was life. "I just didn't expect the area to be so bad." He said sadly as they turned left onto the Autovia On-Ramp towards the City of Colorojo. He saw that Alexis was curious, probably about his knowledge about the delicate situation in the State. "My Parents were both born there. My dad took me there once when I was a toddler. The only thing I remember was loud cheering." He explained.

"Wait, your parents we childhood friends? I thought that you said they met later on?" The blonde remembered their conversation a month back.

"I never said that. My Mom lived in the richer part of the State, near the border with Madrid. My dad grew up in the poorer part of the State, closer to the Capital. My dad was scouted by someone from City CG when he was around 9 or 10 I think. That's when he was able to move."

"What about your grandparents."

He stayed silent for a few seconds, before giving her an answer. "On my Mom's side? Dead. Both of them. On my Dad's side? I have no clue. I never met either of them."

Alexis nodded as she looked back towards the road, remembering that he wasn't able to meet them due to his delicate circumstance. There were a few cars here and there, but mostly empty since it was later in the evening. If it weren't for the events that just transpired, the fact that Alex had been shot and the fact that their transport had been destroyed, and the blue lights behind them, this could be considered a romantic- Wait, Lights?

"Alex-" Rei cut in through the Bluetooth System. "We have company. The skyway is three miles from here. We need to get there before they make a roadblock otherwise we're screwed."

"Just take us there. I can keep up." He groaned.

'Pull over, now.' The officer told the drivers. They responded by speeding up. The different states of Mistral had upgraded their pursuit vehicles to sports cars, as street racing had become an issue and they needed cars to be able to keep up with the modified cars.

"Rei, they're gaining."

"I know. We need to try and atleast make it to the Skyway exit, it's about a mile out."

"I'll try."

As they both kept pace, more police cruisers joined the pursuit. Both Rei and Alex were listening to the Chatter and heard from one of the officers that they were both being referred to as "Street Racers". In both the Aston Martin and the BMW, the drivers had knowing grins. Rei fixed her review mirror and saw the boy having the same one. She nodded through the mirror and he returned it, they were on the same page.

Atticus noticed that she was acting suspicious. "What are you up to?"

"Babe, have you seen the 2 Fast 2 Furious?" She said as she shifted down, the rev counter shooting up.

"Ye-Wait!" He couldn't say more as he was thrown back in the chair as the car jerked forward from the sudden acceleration.

In the car behind, Alexis saw the car ahead speed up and quickly realized what was about to happen next and gripped the door handle hard. As predicted the engine revved and the car shoved her back into her seat. They weaved in and out of the light traffic as the police cars kept the pace. Alex followed the sports car as it took the On-Ramp exit and turned right, using the handbrake and using his right foot to brake and use the accelerated at the same time as he was using his left to push the clutch, and pushing second gear into slot.

"Sorry Lex, just trying not to get us caught." He said as the car jolted from side to side violently.

As the car straightened out, through the mirror he saw the cops barely taking the turn he just made. Shifting into the next gear, he caught up with the Aston that had gained a small lead over him. He noticed a sign as he passed, indicated that the Skyway was a few blocks away.

They weaved in and out of heavier traffic on the street, blowing through several red lights as more units joined the pursuit. Both drivers narrowly managed to dodge the oncoming Heavy SUV that came with the intent of stopping them faster than crashing into a tree. Up ahead they saw a wide intersection, indicated that was the route onto the Skyway. Alex threw it into sixth as he was side by side next to the Aston Martin, he glanced over to the left and saw how Atticus seemed to be having a hell of a time in the car. And by that, I mean that he was paler than paste as he hung on for dear life.

Arriving at the intersection, and luckily for them it was at a green light, they both downshifted and turned. Both cars going into power slides as their drivers pushed on the accelerator and advanced to the next gear.

In front of them was the Skyway. As predicted the sign said closed but they ignored it as they marched forward. The Mistralian Police Force stopped as they knew that on the straight, they would be outrun. And by the time they would dispatch a Helicopter there would be no point.

As the road evened out to smooth tarmac, Alex pulled up alongside Rei in the Aston. The Blue Haired woman threw a thumbs up before pressing on the instant-on voice system. "That was epic."

"Yeah." He breathed a sigh of relief. "How are we alive?"

"Luck."

"Got it. Should really try not to push it." He said as he saw her nodding in agreement. Turning over to his left, he saw that Alexis still had a face of terror on her face. He shook her arm and she dislodged her vice grip to look over to him.

"Holy shit." She uttered, she had seen her life flash before her eyes several times throughout that ordeal.

"Sorry." He apologized, rubbing her leg to relax her. She adjusted herself as she slowly took breaths to calm down.

"Jesus Christ, where did you learn to do that? Aside from the fact that I never want you to drive again, where did you learn to do that?"

"Would you believe me if I said sheer luck?" He asked her. She gave him a skeptical look, finally having mostly calmed down and her heart rate returning to normal.

"Not in the slightest."

"Fine. It was something I picked up at Patch. They have these little events with small, single seat, offroaders. That's where Yang and I learned to Drive."

"I know Patch is small, but does it not have asphalt roads?"

"No, mostly paths. No concrete roads. It wouldn't be economically worth it because only like 1 or 2 miles of road could be useful anyway."

"Right."

"What about you? Have you learned to drive?"

She shook her head, grabbing the food from the back and grabbing a sandwich with her label on it. They were sub-sandwiches, and as she opened hers she noticed it was exactly as she liked it. Roast Beef on Wheat. All the veggies minus pickles, spinach and onions. And a dash of pepper, Mayonnaise, Honey mustard and a small portion of Chipotle sauce. "Alex, how did they know how I like my sub?"

"Remember when we went to Subway a few months back?" He said, giving her a smile.

"You remembered that?"

He gave her a shrug and a 'hm'. "It's certainly possible." He said as he set the cruise control. Because of the fact that there was no traffic, he set it to 120 Miles an Hour. "Could you grab mine?" He asked as he tried with his hand to search for it and was coming up empty handed.

"You're driving. Pay attention to the road." She said as she teased him by chewing slowly. "So delicious."

He gave her a pout as she continued to munch on her dinner. "Come on! I got us out alive!"

The blonde scoffed. "You were shot!"

"Details, Details. Seriously though, could you atleast give me a bite of yours?" He said as he tried to lean over, snapping his teeth together to try and get a nibble in. The blonde responded by pulling the half way from his reach.

"Not a chance, get your own." She continued to eat, grabbing a drink that was in the bag and opening it. Before she could take a drink, his lips landed on the can's lip and he took a small sip. "Alex!"

"What? I was thirsty."

"You are such a child sometimes" She muttered as she wiped off the lip of the can with a napkin and took a drink.

"Could you atleast feed me? It's like another 50 Miles to the next rest stop, which is like another half an hour away!" He whined like a child.

"Fine, you big baby." She grabbed his sandwich from the bag and his own drink and placed the can in the cup holder next to hers. She unwrapped the sandwich and was greeted by his favorite sub. Roast Beef on White, toasted though the heat was long gone. Bacon, Lettuce, tomatoes, Avocado and onions with Mayo, Honey Mustard and a little normal mustard, Extra Chipotle and Extra Barbacue sauce. It looked very unhealthy, but still looked good. So good in fact that she couldn't resist taking a bite out of it.

"Lex!" He said in shock as his partner took a bite of HIS sandwich. "That's mine!"

"I wanted a taste! Plus, it's not that bad though you could lay off the grease."

"The grease adds extra flavor. Now can you please feed me?" He said as he pointed to his mouth with his free hand like a little kid. She rolled her eyes and shook her head but obliged him. He took a bite and moaned as his taste buds were met with the mixture of flavors. He leaned in for another bite, making sure to pay attention to the road as he savored his dinner. He hadn't noticed that Alexis had a blush on her cheeks from the sound he made.

She watched as he kept eating from her hand, literally. In her mind, she was wondering how she ended up in this situation, excluding the events of the past few hours. She was partnered with a very powerful person, who was a Year her junior, shared their own dorm and were now an Item. Even if it didn't last, it would be one hell of a story. But having been together for almost 6 months now since early August, and all the Events that they've gone through here, were something she would remember for some time.

For example, Yang helped Ruby throw a costume party and all their friends were invited. And by costume, basically everyone swapped outfits. Ruby was gawking Weiss as she strode in her outfit, complete with the Cape. Yang and Blake swapped outfits, surprisingly being a similar size besides their bust. Blake even lent her bow to Yang, shocking everyone. Nora and Ren swapped, Nora prancing around Ren as he tried his best to maintain his stoic demeanor. Better said than done when you have a pink skirt and your top has a heart where your cleavage is. Pyrrah Swapped with Jaune, who was getting too comfy with that skirt just as she was getting too comfy with his sweater, often sniffing it when she thought no one would be looking.

It took a lot of Coaxing and a lot of bribing, but they managed to encourage (Read as: Force) Alex to attend. He was blushing a deep red as he walked into the room in Alexis' Sleeveless jacket and skirt, though he had to supply a modified version of his long sleeve shirt as a substitute for her sleeveless turtle neck as he had ripped one of hers, and had to borrow a pair of Pyrrah's boots as Alexis' ankle boots were too small. And just like Ruby, he couldn't walk in heels to save his life. He had to hang on to Alexis' every time he wanted a drink so he wouldn't meet the ground face first.

Alexis had her own jeans to supply for a swap of Alex's outfit, but had to borrow one of his shirts. Surprisingly, he had a smaller size one that fit on her loosely but not as bad as the others. She supplied her own sneakers as well. They went the extra step like Yang and Blake and even swapped weapons, Alexis wearing Frameskip and Alex wearing Duel Disk, though he complained that it was snug.

As she finished reminiscing about the Halloween party, Alexis noticed that Alex had finished eating the half of the sandwich she was holding for him. "You ate it already?"

"Hmmppf, hmphhhph." He said as he chewed what looked like a large piece of the sandwich. He forced it down, took a breath and quickly finished off the drink to break it down as it felt like he was going to rip his esophagus. "Yeah, I've been taking bites on and off for like half an hour now." He said as he checked the Fuel Status. "We should be nearing the Gas Station. You looked like you were thinking about something good so I let you stay in your little dream bubble." He said as he scowered the back of the car blindly for the other cans of Carbonated Beverage.

"How do you know I was doing that?" The blonde challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"You get this goofy grin and your eyes go shiny, then you sigh happily whenever a really good memory comes up." He explained as he nearly drops the can, catching it as it nearly falls on the blonde's lap. "

"You've watched me do all that?"

"Well, if you make it sound all creepy then sure. I'd call it observing, or research." He shrugged. 'But to answer your question, I have."

"You have moments like that too."

"Like?"

"Whenever you concentrate on a game, you clench your jaw and squeeze the controller harder. And depending on the situation you'll relax or further grip it tighter. "

"I know I squeeze my controller, the jaw thing I didn't know. Anything else you'd like to inform me of?'

"When you work on your Laptop, push your hair back or tuck some hair behind your ear. If something irritates you, you start tapping on the palmrest." She counted off her finger. "When you're nervous, you play with the bottom of the watch with your thumb and when you're excited you make a 'C' with your right index and thumb and start rubbing the band of it. When you're bored you start tapping on the screen and you don't realize it."

"Damn, and you called me staring at you creepy?"

"You do them often so it's not like I'm not going to notice. Plus we usually sit together or are nearby so they happen often. And, they're good indicators about your emotions."

"So you can read what I feel?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was thinking more like, I can tell if you're irritated or annoyed. I don't know if your annoyed or mad at any particular time but my mind can click with action and think 'Oh, he's probably mad about something.'"

"Ah, I've really never noticed myself doing that stuff." He said as he scratched his head.

"You also like to sing when you're Alone or hum a tune when you're in a really good mood." She noticed how he stiffened at mentioning it. "Though, ever since I heard you singing that time, you try not to."

"I just don't like doing it when others are around. I thought you were asleep that one time."

"But why are you so embarrassed by it? You can sing very well, Weiss even told me you were on stage with her for a performance."

Alex saw that Alexis would press the issue, the way he acted that day wasn't the best way to approach the situation and mentally face palmed every time he remembered it. A bit of an overreaction and a few other things that kept him cringing. "I guess I was afraid that you'd go and tell everybody." He admitted as he snapped open the can of Nuka-Cola.

Alexis' mind instantly clicked, remembering what Yang had told her during their "Dorm Warming Dinner." And putting two and two together. She knew the details already, so she wasn't going to pry about that. "Why would I do that?"

"It's happened before, and I didn't want it to happen again. It's not that I don't like doing it in those sparse instances, everyone has those times when they just want to do it you know? It's… just that there was an incident people would pester me about it, some making fun of it, others wanting me to sing for the talent show and others wanting me to rap." He explained, conveniently not mentioning that Yang, and Ruby to a certain extent, had spread the word.

"Ah. I see." She nodded in understanding at his release of information. Aside from not mentioning the Perpetrators, it lined up perfectly. "I get that you want to keep it under wraps. Everyone has their secrets. I promise I won't tell anyone about it." She saw him visibly relax. "Though it wouldn't be too for me if you started doing it again." She mumbled, not wanting to make him uncomfortable again.

He heard her clearly, the car not making too much road noise, and looked at her with a smile tugging at his lips. "I mean, I could do that if it would make you happy I guess. Though if we this had been brought up earlier, maybe you could've heard it more often now that we have to share a bunk with those two." He pointed to the other car, which was moving from lane to lane. He recoiled back with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell is going on in the car?"

Alexis shrugged. "Try to pull up next to it, maybe I could see something." Alex nodded and deactivated cruise control, pressing the accelerator and catching up to the swerving Aston. Alex leaned the car so she could see a better view of the tinted inside. "Closer, there! Try to keep it there." She said as she leaned close to the window. Because of the window she couldn't see much. But she could see the head of hair that belonged to her brother. It was beneath the Steering wheel and looked like he was at an awkward angle. The blue haired driver looked like she was panting and her mouth was wide open.

Alexis' eyes widened and her she pulled back slightly in horror and accidently knocking the gear shifter into neutral, the engine revving to high RPM's as the accelerator was still pushed in.

"What happened? Are you ok? What was going on in there?" He asked with panic as Alexis looked paled. "Lex?"

They stared at each other as her color returned to her, only for her cheeks to turn Tomato Red. She covered her face and leaned back into the seat before sliding on it. "Oh my god."

"What? What is it?!"

"I saw my brother. And Rei."

"Yes?"

"And they were doing…this." She gestured with her fingers, her tongue in-between.

"Oh…" Alexis looked at him in shock at his nonchalant response, until she sighed in relief when he realized what that meant. His eyes widened and his face went as red as hers. "Ohhhhhhhh…" He said as he covered mouth. "I see… I am so sorry you had to see that." He rubbed her leg, trying to soothe her traumatic experience.

"I can never unsee that now. It's forever engraved into my head. It will haunt me for life that scene."

"I know. God damn it Rei…" Alexis gave him a raised eyebrow. "She's going to have to clean that car. And I am never stepping foot in that again." He said as he shuddered. "Gah, they couldn't wait until they got home?" She shrugged as they sat in awkward silence after that. The car's Sat Nav indicated there was a few miles left until they hit the gas station for a top up. As her mind drifted toward what could be described as Atticus giving Rei Oral, her own mind started taking a route, a thoughtful one as she tried to tune out that scene.

She's never felt anything like this towards another person before. As cheesy and as corny as this sounds to her, she feels some sort of bond with Alex ever since they met. They really don't leave each other's presences often, being at most around 50Ft away from each other. It's not like it's a normal 'Connection', an excuse people make to justify giving something a try, it felt as if they were tethered now. Their Auras seemed stronger, in Alexis' opinion, whenever they were closer to one another. During their Outfield Assignment before Mt Glenn, she noticed how both of them took less damage the closer they were together and how their Aura's regenerated faster.

Aside from the fact that their semblances relied on physical manifestations of that Aura, they complimented each other's style accordingly. Though she chalked up that fact to just a lucky coincidence. The only other time she felt this type of tether line was when she met that little boy when she herself was a little girl at the Park in Atlas' Park.

Which brought her down to the situation she was thinking about now. She was a normal, healthy teenage woman, one with hormones and hormones do things to people. They have thoughts. She didn't know if Alex had gone through it or was going through it, but seeing how their relationship has progressed so far, those thoughts kept popping up from time to time. And she (not) will admit to possibly taking a little longer in the shower because of a few scenes from a dream the night before. Turning to the brunette beside her, she saw that he was still red in the face and was still rubbing his chin.

Would it be bad to think about that, so soon into their relationship? They've been together by force since August and have been together-together for almost two months. Searching up online mostly brought the results with people saying "Yes it's normal" or "not until marriage." And similar answers. But one that stuck out was the ones that said 'You'll know when you're ready." Those type of answers had more depth to them, as opposed to the others which were shorter and didn't have much substance. And it got her thinking about it.

She felt the car start to slow down and saw that they were approaching the gas station. The Aston in front of them had thankfully stopped swerving and also began to slow down. There was a small 'ding' from the dashboard, and it looked like the car was running low on Fuel.

"Thankfully we're here, otherwise we'd be in some major trouble when they open it backup tomorrow." He said as he turned into the station. Turning the engine off, they both got out and stretched. Their muscles thanked them by popping and extending, not being used to being cramped in such a small space for so long.

In the other car, both Atticus and Rei got out as well and stretched. Alexis remembered what he had been doing and her face went red again.

"Finally! I like being in a fast car but sometimes you just gotta stretch." He said as his back popped.

"So…what was with you driving all sporadically?" Alex asked Rei. He was doing his best to not turn scarlet like Alexis had, but failed.

"Clearly you know judging by the blushes you two are wearing. They match, good look." She said as she winked.

"Christ Rei, in the car? While topping 100+?"

"What can I say, a girl has her needs and sometimes adding adrenaline makes it even better." She sauntered off to pay for the fuel inside.

"Jesus." He said as he leaned against the car. "She's gonna die if she does that when we go through Independence Pass."

"How bad is it? Is there a Civil war too?" Alexis asked. She's never been around that area of Atlas before.

"It's not a City. It's a Mountain Range named by Refuges escaping persecution by the Atlesian Government. They had to overcome that mountain range to get around what was at the time Mistral Territory. The Kingdom of Mistral Welcomed the Refugees with Open Arms.

That's why it's called Independence Pass. The reason I say its dangerous is because the Roads are always icy. There are three that go through the Range. The one that's closed right now, technically a highway. The one that goes out of Atlas only and the One that goes into Atlas only. The road into Atlas has snow like I said, sometimes it has sleet as well making braking basically useless." He explained as he pushed up from the car and headed inside. Alex followed, listening to his description. "It's around 10 Miles of pure corners and turns. By the time we get there, some construction people will be blasting the excess snow off so that it won't come down during normal drive time.

They both walked inside and saw that Rei had some more food, and that Atticus had some donuts. The long haired brunette noticed that she was giving him that look. She wanted Donuts.

"Ah, ah ah! Nope. Sorry sis, but these donuts are for me."

"Come on Atti!" She whined like a child. "Please?"

"Don't you have money?"

"I left my purse in the car!"

"Well too bad then, no donuts for you. Although, I'm sure someone wouldn't mind buying you some." He nodded towards Alex, who was shoving all the Spicy Chips into the little hand basket. He saw that everyone inside was giving him a look, he just grinned sheepishly.

"Heh. They're pretty good chips to be fair." He defended.

"Alex, would you mind if I grab some donuts?" The blonde asked, giving him the puppy dog eyes. He didn't even fight it, giving in almost instantly.

"Sure, they're over there." He pointed with his free hand as he tried to reach for that bag that was hiding all the way in the back shelf.

The blonde gasped as she saw the amount of Sweets. She grabbed a box and started filling it out with Regular Glazed donuts and custard filled chocolate donuts, her favorite. She filled it up and grabbed another box and filled it out with Maple Glazed with custard inside and the chocolate ones.

'Maybe I should get another box for Alex. I wonder what type he likes.'

She walked around to the next isle and saw that he was still struggling to get that last bag, he was stretching as best he could, trying not to give up and put the basket down. He noticed Stocking Legs and the Blue skirt that belonged to only one person. "Hello."

"You need some help?"

"Yes please." He smiled as she handed him the cursed bag. Alex could 'hear' how it was kicking and screaming and not wanting to be eaten. "Because you gave me so many issues, I'm eating you first. You even get your own bag." He scolded the inanimate object.

Alex shook her head at Alexs' goofy side. He always made her smile, even if they're quiet he finds a way to do so. "Alex, what kind of Donuts do you like?" She asked as she remembered why she came around in the first place.

"Maple Glazed with Custard, the Glazed Cruller or just some Donut holes is fine." He said as he walked carefully to the checkout.

She nodded as she went around to the back, closing the lids on both boxes and began to fill the third one with his. She decided on Half Maple, have Cruller and then a large bag of donut holes. She was certain he wouldn't mind.

"Lex!"

She peeked her head over the corner, seeing Alex having his stuff bagged already. "Bring something to drink! Like Milk…Like 7 or 8 bottles of Nesquik, preferably Chocolate."

Milk does go well with some Donuts, so she went and grabbed a few bottles of that plus a large container of water and brought it up front. She quickly finished up with his box and brought the three to the register. She noticed Alex giving her a look. "What?"

"How many did you get? I thought you were going to get like 1 or 2."

"I did. I got 2 Boxes for me and one for you!"

"Smart-Aleck." He shook his head as she fist pumped at the fact that he didn't say no.

After paying for the food and gas, which was well over what he intended to spend, they noticed that Rei and Atticus were busy lip-locking each other to notice them. They quickly placed their junk food in the back seat and Alex got busy filling the car. The other Car was already done, but as mentioned before the Driver was occupied at the moment and hadn't noticed the pump had stopped.

He turned to Alexis, who was already eating one of her donuts. He laughed as she turned and she looked like a stuffed chipmunk with most of the donut in her mouth and filling her cheek. "I didn't think you had a sweet tooth." He said with amusement evident, causing Alexis to narrow her eyes before shrugging.

She vacuumed the donut she was eating to answer his comment. "I just like them."

"Fair enough I guess." He said as he noticed the pump stopped. Placing the hose back and turning the gas cap. He got in and started the car. "Though, you have some custard here." He said as he pointed to a part of her lip that had custard on it.

"Could you get it for me?" She hinted, seeing what he would do. She was disappointed that he grabbed a napkin and wiped it off, so she did the only logical think. She stuck her finger into the custard donut and smeared some on his lip.

"Hey, what gives?" He said reaching for a napkin, only for Alexis to grab his head and get the custard herself, using only her lips.

She couldn't let her brother get all the fun.

They pulled away, panting for breath as he leaned back into his seat. "If you wanted to do that, you could've just asked." He said as he noticed that Rei STILL wasn't done. As he already knew the way to Independence Pass, he decided to get a little head start. Shifting into first, he dropped the clutch and spun the wheels. Rei and Atticus jumped as they saw Alex burning Rubber out of the Gas Station before pulling away.

"He's on." Rei said as she tied her hair into a quick pony tail and got in the car. Atticus jumped over the hood and also buckled up. She did what Alex had done and burned rubber out of the Gas Station.

Alex saw that a dark object had just come out of the Gas Station. The lights then turned on, indicating that Rei was going to catch up. Alexis didn't seem to notice what was going on, focusing instead on her delicious pastry and drinking some milk.

The Aston Martin quickly caught up with the BMW, The V12 in that car making mincemeat of the BMW's V8 Engine. And even though the Aston Martin was a first generation model, only making 450 horsepower, it was still more powerful than the BMW. Which only made 444 horsepower. They continued breaking the speed limit on the empty Skyway, slowing down slightly for the few corners that they encountered.

"You two are awfully reckless drivers." Alexis said as she was stuffing her mouth with another donut.

"It's just a friendly race. One that just so happens to pass through one of the most dangerous roads in the World."

"Wait what?" She asked with a piece of pastry still in her mouth.

"Oh…I uh forgot to mention that it's one of the most dangerous places in the entire world. I mentioned the sleet and stuff, but there are some hairpin turns you have to do. And considering that we're going to go through it while they are doing avalanche clearance isn't exactly helping our cause."

"Why not just go tomorrow?"

"And sleep where? In the car? I'm pretty sure someone is going to be suspicious of two sports cars being parked on the side of the freeway. We're already too far from the gas station so it's either this or we head back to Mistral." He assured her to the best of his ability by rubbing her leg with his free hand. "I promise we'll be fine."

It worked, at least it looked like it did when Alexis relented and continued to eat instead of argue.

He distracted her by talking about other things, like their objective, before swiftly moving on how they would divide the dorm to make the most out of it. Alex brought up a holographic projection and she was in awe as she manipulated the beds and the sofa with her fingers. Alex smiled as she got a little bit too into it and was moving everything around, as if she was a kid.

Both Cars continued forward, seeing the only sign for miles reading "Independece Pass, Atlesian Kingdom Limits." Meaning that they were 'officially' in Atlesian Territory.

The border between Atlas and Mistral has been a heated debate depending on where you come from. Many believe that the border is 20 miles

"Be Advised, we have a report of two street racers on the Skyway, any available units can head out to check?"

"Cop that, heading up now."

"Damn." The brunette brushed his hair back. "The gas station attendant must've called."

"What are we going to do?" The blonde asked as she finished her 7th donut.

"Change our plates." He said as he pressed a button on the Bluetooth system. "Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"You heard the chatter right?"

"Yeah. They haven't gotten up the skyway yet, but they think we are going through the opposite side. They might send some patrol cars through our way though."

"Do we have a spare change of license plates?"

"Just the ones from the Dealership, why?"

"Perfect. They won't be able to trace the cars with Dealer Plates. It'll lead them to Vacuo or something. Pull over quick so we can get this over with."

They both turned to the shoulder, hitting the hazard light button out of reflex before grabbing the Dealer Plates from an envelope and removing the actual plates, placing them in the envelope and screwing the Dealer Plates into Place.

"Alright." Alex buckled up and turned off the flashing hazard lights. "If they try and track the cars, it'll give them some fake dealership in Vacuo."

"Where did you even get these cars on Short Notice?"

"Since we work with a lot of Airship and Airline Companies, we are able to sneak a few cars in hangar or two and hide them in small containers beneath the hangars. The floor opens up and the cars are there." He saw that Alexis was still lost, so he tried simplifying it. "Think of it like this, it's like we cryogenically freeze the cars and hide them, then when we need them we get them."

"How do you know which hangar the cars are in?"

"It's always the Hangar closest to the exit of the Airport. Always."

Alexis nodded. Interesting piece of information.

A few minutes of relative silence passed, aside from Alexis slowly starting to nod off, before they noticed flashing lights a few miles ahead.

"Shit." The Bluetooth comm sounded with the voice of the blue haired woman. "They're here already?"

"Didn't you say they were on the otherside?"

"They must've realized that we wouldn't do that. They've set up a roadblock."

"Any chance of getting through it?"

"My hope is that they have the wooden barricade, we can just smash through it."

"Looks like we're going to need more speed." Alex said as he slammed on the accelerator.

"Understood." Was the last thing Rei said as she too hit 'the pedal to the metal'. Both cars engine's revved and gained speed.

They were fast approaching the barricade, they noticed that there was indeed a wooden barricade surrounded by several cop cars.

Both cars broke 120 miles an hour as they approached the roadblock. Alex lined his car up perfectly behind Rei's as she lined up to break the wooden barrier.

Atticus was gribbing the door handle in a vice as the speedometer kept climbing.

"Brace!" Rei yelled, causing Atticus to lean back as they smashed the wooden barrier and sent pieces of wood everywhere.

They passed another sign as they passed the roadblock. "Independece Pass, next exit."

They both turned onto the off-ramp, making a right turn on the only paved road. The sun had complete set as they stopped in front of the wooden gate. The dot-matrix sign had a message displayed to drivers that the road was closed due to remote avalanche control.

They all got out as they contemplated what to do, they had arrived too late and the road was closed.

"We can't just go back, they're going to arrest me! My beautiful image can't be marred by going to Jail! What if I drop the soap? Then what?" Atticus panicked, pacing back and forth. They all froze as they heard police chatter from the cars.

"Looks like they headed up to the mountain range. We have them cornered boys."

"Shit, what do we do?" Atticus asked as he saw the faint lights of a police car slowly climbing up the road.

"Do any of you have anything to cut the lock?"

Atticus nodded and quickly returned with his weapon active. "What do you need me to do?"

"Cut this lock, but don't mess up the chain." he explained to him" I have a spare lock in the car."

The older brunette did as he was told and the gate flew open with the gust. "Alexis, drive the car forward. Rei, you too."

"Me?! I can't drive a stick!"

"It's easy. Push the pedal to the left, and at the same time turn the key. Then with the clutch still pressed put it in first. And use your right foot to press the accelerator."

"I don't know."

"Alexis I trust you. I will take you out anywhere you want and buy you anything you want later. But right now I need you to do this."

Rei and Atticus watched as Alexis ultimately nodded and got in the driver's seat.

The blonde had driven a car before, but it was Atticus' old hatchback. It was an automatic and all she had to do was change the gear stick to "D" and it would go forward.

She did as Alex had explained and successful turned the car on. She then held the clutch and shifted into first and quickly pressed the accelerator. The engine revved as the blonde hadn't let go of the clutch.

"Release the clutch!" Rei and Alex yelled over the sound of the engine revving.

Alexis didn't hear them. She accidently let go as she tried to adjust herself, the car surged forward and past the gate. She let go of the accelerator and hit the brakes, the car violently jolting to a stop before stalling in first gear. She pulled the handbrake and shakily got out of the car. She was a huntress in training, but seeing as going over the small bank of snow to her right meant imminent death, she was allowed to be scared.

Rei followed and Alex went to go grab the lock from the car, the blonde glaring daggers at him. "What?"

"What?" she mimicked him "I could have gone over the snow bank!" she pointed to the small mound that was the only barrier between the people on the road and death.

"But you didn't" he responded as he pulled the lock from beneath the seat. "I said I'd do anything. I mean it. Think of anything and we'll do it. Then I'll teach you how to drive a stick so that you don't stall in first gear." he chuckled, causing her cheeks to burn, despite the cold.

He pressed his lips to hers to cool her off as he and Atticus closed the gate against the wind, Alex closing the padlock against the chain that kept the gate closed before rushing to the warmth and safety of their respective cars.

"We should be seeing them any minute now" more police chatter. "They have nowhere to go now."

"That's what you think." Alex responded. He pressed the button and spoke to Rei. "Race to the bottom?"

"You're on." he could hear Atticus whimper as she cutoff the bluetooth system.

Rei got a head start as Alex had to restart the car before shifting into first. He trailed behind her as they took a soft left as the road then straightened out. They both turned on their headlights at the same time, the Skyway having more than adequate lighting. On this road, there weren't any light posts.

The headlights gave them better visibility, now being able to see the sleet on the road and any other obstacles in their way.

They arrived at the first hairpin corner, both hitting the brakes as the cars passed through icy terrain, sliding over it as the rougher snow slowed the cars down. They turned the steering wheel and the cars slid into the right direction before slamming the accelerator and moving forward. Rei's car passed over some ice, causing her car to spin the wheels and slow her down. This allowed Alex to overtake her as they slightly went left, going through a small bridge.

The road took a slight right and they heard a loud alarm and the loud firing of something. They saw rocks being flung towards the snow. They just started to Blast the Area. The road turned right slightly as they both had their right foot welded to the floor, going through some small snow banks in their way. They slowed down at a small tunnel that hair pinned left, then slamming the accelerator on the straight that followed.

They went beneath some fallen trees and more snow as the road straightened out. They heard the sirens again and saw rocks being thrown to Blast more snow. Said snow started to land on the road in front of them and began to pelt the cars as they went faster than the snow could roll down. Alexis gasped as she saw boulders roll down, Alex narrowly dodging one that split in half and fell into their lane.

They entered another tunnel, the road having a right curve as they marched onwards. The lights in the tunnel were flickering, before finally giving out and making them use their high beams.

As they left the tunnel and went over another small bridge, the road straightened out and allowed both cars to gain more speed. The road tool a slight left and that's when Alexis noticed something.

"Alex?"

"What?" he said as he concentrated on getting them out alive.

"There's no guardrails"

He turned his head slightly and noticed how close they were to the edge of the cliff and jerked the wheel in panic.

He didn't notice that they went over a patch of ice and that caused both cars to spin one the ice, the tires desperate for the traction that just wasn't there.

Rei growled as she forced the car to straighten out in the right direction, shifting into second and continuing forward.

Alex pulled the handbrake in order to guide the car in the right direction and quickly removed the brake and slammed into third, the car responding with high revs and the sensation of spinning wheels as he gained full control.

The Aston Martin plowed through some slushy snow, slowing down and Allowing Alex to go through with easy and overtake her. They saw red flaming balls in the night sky and the alarm blare again, crashing into the snow.

Snow, trees and boulders started falling on the road in front of them, slowing them down as they had to dodge them. There was one particularly close call as one of the boulders fell and split just as Rei passed it, nearly pushing her car.

The road led them downhill onto another straightaway, a narrow one lane section as rocks and trees began to hit the walls of the narrow roads. They veered right as most of the debris landed to their left.

They made it out of that section and saw the exit tunnel, but saw another barrage of debris crash into a bank of snow, causing a huge avalanche that would block the tunnel. They both kept their accelerators glued down as they raced the avalanche down. Alexis leaned into her chair, fearing this was the end.

She felt an arm cross her chest, turning to see Alex trying his best to drive and cover her, for whatever it was worth considering they would die regardless.

"Brace. Brace!" he told her as he felt his Aura transfer to his right hand and create a small circle in front of Alexis.

The cars topped out at their Top Speed as they went through the beginning of the Avalanche, snow pelting the cars as the saw a huge boulder fall behind them, almost hitting Alex's boot. They managed to make it to the tunnel, the snow completely blocking off the entry they had just gone through.

"Oh God." Alexis breathed, they were safe.

Alex leaned into his chair, sighing in relief as he slowed down significantly. The both jumped as they felt the car get rammed from behind. Looking at the rear-view mirror, Alex saw a pissed off Rei.

"What the he'll was that back there? You could have gotten us killed! IDIOT!"

"I didn't know you were next to me, and I panicked when I saw how close we were to the edge of the road."

"You should have paid more attention then." The blue haired woman sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "We should be about 2 more hours from Manchester. Unless you two want to spend the night at a hotel?"

He turned to the blonde with a raised eyebrow. She shook her head and grabbed another donut, to calm her nerves and to concentrate on something that wasn't that near death experience.

"Nah, we're fine. We have enough fuel so I think we should just go."

"Alright. Atticus has a question for you guys." They heard slight muffles before a male voice boomed through the speakers. He turned down the volume, asking him to repeat his question.

"Lexi, do you mind if they crash out our house? I don't want to send Rei away after she drove me all the way from Mistral and I'm pretty sure you're thinking the same about your boyfriend" he sang the "boyfriend" to purposely irritate her. It worked, but he did have a point. Where was Alex going to stay?

"Its fine Lex, you don-"

"He has a point though. You drove from Mistral to here. It wouldn't be fair if I made you leave."

"And you're sure that you wouldn't mind?" he asked, not wanting to burden them with the extra person if he didn't have to.

"I'm positive."

He gave her a sincere smile and rubbed her leg in gratitude. "Thanks. How big is the couch if you don't mind me asking? I'll make it work, but just want to know how much of a squeeze it'll be."

"Actually. I was thinking that you could sleep in my room." Her cheeks burned as she continued to eat her comfort food.

"Is your brother cool with that?"

"He is! Though I don't want to hear any loud noises, and especially-"

"Thank You Atti-" Alexis talked over him and pressed the end button.

"What is he on about?" he asked, seemingly have forgotten about the incident on the skyway.

She played it off and shrugged, causing him to shrug and drop the subject as they left the tunnel.

"Um, not trying to sound creepy, but I don't know where you live..." he trailed off as they turned off onto the road, stopping at a Stop Sign.

"We live in Dortmünd."

He turned to her in surprise. "Really? That's like, 5 miles from Manchester."

"Yeah. Our house isn't the biggest, but its home."

"Understandable." he brought up a holographic touch screen in front of her. "Though would you mind typing in your address for the satnav?"

She nodded as she typed out her address and hit enter. He hummed and pushed the 'Start Navigation button and casually hit the Star button, saving the location into memory.

The blonde noticed, but ultimately didn't mind much. The rest of the car journey was in peaceful silence, though Alexis decided to turn on the Radio to listen to some music. She turned the dial looking for a good station before finding one that played both English and Atlesian Music.

They listened to some Hip Hop, Alexis occasionally singing along to the music as Alex just watched in amusement when she would get the lyrics mixed up. She did this thing where she tried to fix it but then the person singing would catch up to where she was out and made her try and keep up with the singer.

He himself didn't do that, he could easily understand the lyrics. But his Atlesian was border-line passable for Normal Day to Day life, singing would be a nightmare.

"Do you like this type of music?" The blonde turned towards him, asking in her Native Tongue.

He blinked in surprise. "Uh. Yeah. It's not bad. I…assumed?" He responded, having forgotten the word 'Guess.'

"You have a thick accent when you talk." She observed.

"I didn't exactly grow up learning Atlesian. Mistralian was what I spoke at home the most, then English."

"Right. Now that you mention that, you do have this small, almost unnoticeable, accent when you talk."

He blinked again at her observation. The brunette didn't know how to respond to that. . "Uh. Thanks?"

"It's not a big deal. Though you need to work on your Atlesian."

"Easier said than done. I can barely pass a conversation without tripping up somewhere." He groaned, turning on cruise control as they took a right onto a highway.

"If you want, I could teach you?" She offered.

"Really?" He perked up. Rosetta Stone was good, but having a live person is always much preferred. He noticed that she had this little spark in her hazel eyes, causing his defenses to go up. "What's the catch?"

She narrowed her eyes at his watchful nature. "You really are observant. The catch is, you teach me Mistralian."

"Huh sounds like a fair deal. Ironic considering we just left. I accept your deal." He said as he extended his hand.

She took it and they both shook once, but she didn't let go of his hand. Instead she took his hand and interlocked their fingers using her left hand.

"Real smooth." He chuckled, causing her to smack his chest.

He drove next to Rei's car, seeing her in a very active conversation with Atticus about something. He then turned to his left and saw that Alexis was slowly starting to nod off, though she hadn't let go of his hand.

His mind wandered slightly. In his mind, he was giving thanks to every deity in existence for giving him the opportunity of a Lifetime to attend Beacon, meeting with Ruby and Yang again. Even Weiss. And making new friends. Team JNPR, Blake, Coco and Velvet, and especially Alexis.

XXX Memory Timeline XXX

When he left to Atlas from Patch, he never even got the chance to say goodbye to Ruby or Yang as he was loaded onto the Airship with his packed belongings. Life at the top of the chain was rough the first few weeks. Sleep for him was something he couldn't afford to do as he had to repair the damage that was sustained to the company's image due to an accident. A tanker carrying some sort of pathogen had crashed in the middle of a small rural town close to the city of Eisendrache, the last northern town with people living in it. It was close to a then-PNC stockpile of nuclear weapons.

The truck driver had lost control and the tanker flipped causing a rupture and allowing the pathogen to go airbourne. He remembered how he was in the middle of a meeting when his then assistant Sabine Merelhart informed him of the incident.

His first major act as President of the PNC was to order a quarantine. He held a strong façade during these meeting, but in private was emotional at his decision. He didn't shed tears, but it hurt him the fact that these people were going to die. There was no cure at the time for contamination of Element 115. It causes healthy cells to specifically attack the brain. Death was painless, but was instant. People would drop like sacks of potatoes. Then, the dead body would reanimate. Thus creating a Zombie.

As weird as it was, it seemed that the zombies were mostly harmless. Every now and again they would attack, but they're weak state meant that fending them off was easy. Dust, specifically fire, seemed to work as it set them on fire without much effort.

Word had spread that there were 'Zombies' and was slowly making its way to more technological rich cities, but a 'misinterpretation' caused news to spread that there was a forest fire in that area due to a petrol tanker exploding. The media bought it, but the PNC still took the blame as the tanker carried it's logo on the side.

The city was leveled in a controlled explosion and all trace of the pathogen, using advanced scanners that were accurate down to the last femtometer. Precautions were made to make sure that the area was safe for future inhabitants though.

His mind leapt from that, to his first year in charge. Sabine had left the company in order to manage a small tech firm in the western Atlas area. While he was looking for an assistant, he received a letter in the mail that was routed from Patch. It was from his penpal/friend Rei.

It was then that he decided to go with his gut instinct. She was studying business and he needed help. The pieces fell into place and Rei joined the ranks. And his restoration plan was almost complete. A few months later he was able to complete it as he found out that his Vice President at the time, Vincent Barrochello, had been moving company funds to his various bank accounts. That gave him a reason to fire him and promote his then assistant to VP in less than two months.

She helped a lot. She was the reason the PNC was renamed to the PNA, she OK'd the move from Weaponry to Technology, and was partly why the company was nitty-gritty with several other companies like Sony, Microsoft, and sometimes Apple. The company basically ran itself, and Alex worked on streamlining his position so that he didn't need to sit in a chair all day. This gave him time to practice with City CG II during his off-time.

His mind jumped at random as the miles went on, jumping from his debut match against United XI B, to nights that they both spent at the office because it was tax crunch time. Many Caffeine Beverages were consumed during the month.

He remembered what was the defining moment that allowed him to attend Beacon. A Thwarted Robbery at a huge Big Box Store. Roman was apparently doing his errands as a criminal around the world. He didn't capture him, but did stop him from stealing Dust and some TV's. It was enough to warrant an interview with one Glynda Goodwitch and Professor Peach, who were in Atlas because of a Convention at the time. Both female professors approved of him attending Beacon.

XXXTimelineEndXXX

Before his mind could wander, he heard a robotic voice. Shaking his head to come back to reality, he saw that he nearly missed his exit and swerved four lanes to the off ramp. Thankfully the Freeway was empty. He saw that there was a few miles left to the next exit to the Blau Household, and that allowed his mind to wander again.

When he got to Beacon, that shock that Ruby and Yang was a big one. He wasn't expecting to see Yang at all, much less Ruby as she was a year his junior. It was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Then having to tell the story of how Heir Schnee wanted to force marry both Him and Weiss, only to kick him out two months later.

He smiled as he fast0frowarded to all the adventures he's had so far. The food fight, the initiation. And one common thing stood out. There was always a blonde with hazel eyes next to him, watching his back. He turned to said blonde, who had given up and snoozed against the window. Snoring lightly.

He has had crushes, sure. But who hasn't? Since he spent a lot of time near or around Yang, he had developed feelings for the brawler. He never did anything though, simply opting to be around her if he could. It got harder as they went to Primary Combat School; Signal. She hung out with her own friends and even Ruby had a small group of her own. Since he usually was with Yang, he hadn't made any of his own. And he didn't bother either, having his nose in a book or practicing grifball took up his free time.

Which was why when he didn't act on Alexis' hints. He didn't know how to act on them in a way that wouldn't weird her out. The few times he actively tried to make friends were complete fails, making himself sound like an idiot almost every time.

When Alexis kissed him that day, his mind just went kaput for a few minutes. He has heard descriptions of what it was like to find out your crush likes you back, but she went beyond saying. And he's tried everything in his power to make her happy.

While he hasn't bought her anything expensive (His dad told him to not be flashy, something he 'mostly' listened to) he has shown her PSA, something that makes him blush and very uncomfortable but clearly made her happy. He would devote a lot of time to be with her, and all of their dates had been planned by her.

His thoughts were again halted by the sound of the SatNav, telling him to turn off. He followed the instructions and continued on route, no longer distracted as they neared the destination. Rei suddenly slammed on the accelerator and sped off on a Yellow light, leaving him as he stopped at the stoplight. Turning Green, he continued on route until he was told to make a left turn.

The scenery changed to a typical suburban image, houses on both sides and a road that would lead to another main road. He saw the Aston Martin parked and the two occupants were outside, talking amongst themselves as they waved.

"Lex. Alexis, were here." He gently shook her. She hmmed as she slowly came to, turning to Alex with slightly unfocused eyes as he parked the car and turned the engine off. She yawned as she undid her seatbelt and got out, stretching her cramped body. The pops and stretches felt good. Alex took everything out from the backseat, the two boxes of donuts and their luggage. He left the chips inside as shut the boot.

They followed Atticus to the house. It wasn't anything huge, a simple one story house with a two car garage. A small green lawn in front with a few flowers and a typical white letterbox infront.

"Welcome to our humble abode!" He boomed as he opened the door for everyone. It was directed more at Alex as Alexis still lives here and Rei basically lives here too. "I'll put these sweets away in the fridge." he said as he took the boxes of donuts from the Brunette and placed them in the fridge.

"Alrighty then." He clapped his hands together. "Rei and myself are going to head in for the night." He turned to his sister and winked. "Alex, Lexi'll take you to her room. I don't mind if you sleep there. But if you do anything to her that she doesn't want, I don't care that you are the richest person on this earth. They will never find the body."

"Atti!"

"Sorry Lex, big brother rules state I must make sure that my baby sis is safe. Anyway, I'll see you two in the morning." He said as Rei led her to his bedroom. "Already getting frisky?" he teased, earning him a loud slap as the door closed to his room.

She sighed and turned to Alex, who had his hands in his pockets and was just looking around.

The house was quaint on the inside, reminding him of the cabin he called home at Patch. The living room was spacious enough and there was a doorway that led to a kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen was a small dining area. He turned back around and saw that Alexis had been watching him look around.

"Come on." She grabbed his hand. "let's get some rest."

She opened the door and flipped a switch, bringing light to the room. It was a somewhat medium sized bedroom. Probably 12x12 or similar in size. Her bed was a king that stuck out as it was pressed against the wall. In the corner, behind the bed, was a small desk that had a desktop computer underneath it and a mouse and keyboard on top along with a headset that was hanging from the monitor. There was a dresser that had a trophy, some photos and a medal. And behind the door as a mirror.

"If you want, you can use the bathroom first. It's the door across the hall." She explained as she brought up their luggage, handing him his sleepwear.

He thanked her and headed towards the bathroom. The bathroom was larger once you were inside. There was a marble counter on top of a wooden cabinet. Next to the end of the cabinet was the toilet and next to that was the shower/bathtub combo.

He brushed his teeth and cleaned himself up for bed. He changed out of his normal clothing and into his sleepwear that he brought for the trip, an Old grey t shirt with some weird band and some sweatpants. It was an Atlesian November, which is a little warmer but still generally cold. Grabbing his dirty clothes, he went back to the bedroom.

Alexis was already in her sleepwear, which was similar to his except that she chose to wear a blue tanktop instead. They wore the same color sweatpants though, black ones. He couldn't help himself as he gave her a look down. Alexis noticed and smiled. He wasn't a sneaky as he thought he was. She then noticed that his gaze was lingering towards the floor again. His eyes snapped back up to meet hers.

"I'm going to get ready as well, make yourself comfortable." She said, closing the door.

Alex sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He really needs to find out why he keeps doing that. He pulled out his scroll and the charger, plugging the mains to the wall and then plugging in his phone. Now that he has service again, the phone started going off with notifications that he missed. 5 missed calls from Yang, several texts from Team RWBY, and a voicemail left by Yang as well. He couldn't be bothered to respond, deciding to leave it for tomorrow. He left his phone and decided to find a place to call it a night. He was a little confused that Alexis would rather him sleep on the floor in her room than the couch in the living room, but they were the hosts.

Finding a suitable place with enough leg room, he found an extra pillow and was about to place it on the floor when the door opened and closed. He turned to see the blonde swordswoman throwing her dirty clothing in the hamper, then turning and giving him a confused look as she saw him about to place the pillow on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, sleep?" He replied, as if the question was obvious.

"On the floor?"

"Where else was I going to sleep? On the ceiling?"

"Alex, sometimes I wonder how dense you can be sometimes. It's fascinating." She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair in annoyance.

"Since it's so obvious, then why don't you tell me where I should sleep?"

"When I suggested that you sleep in my room, I was also suggesting we share my bed." She explained to him, embarrassment not showing up this time as she was a little miffed that he can be this dense at certain times.

"Oh…" He rubbed his head awkwardly as he stared at the pillow in his hand and the floor. "Sorry" he said as he placed the pillow back on the bed, taking off his watch and placing it next to his scroll. He turned around and saw that the blonde was already in the bed. She scooted over and lifted the comforter, inviting him in.

"Come on, I don't bite." She joked.

He gave her a smile as he got into the bed, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. As he rested his head on the pillow, he felt her arms wrap around him and her body press closer to his.

"Good Night Alex?" she said as she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat that was slowly lulling her back to sleep.

Alex smiled as wrapped his right arm around her as well, before joining her in the land of slumber as well.

"Good Night Lex."


	33. Chapter 33

It was a beautiful new day in the small city of Dortmund. It was cold since it was a November morning, but the birds were outside chirping, and the sun was shining. The occupants in the Blau household were beginning to wake up.

In the blonde's room, Alexis was starting to succumb to the morning birds. She hated the fact that there was a tree near her window sometimes, the birds singing was nice and all, but god they were annoying in the morning. Conceding that she probably won't be able to go back to sleep, she opted to just watch Alex as he slept instead.

She did lose track of how long she watched him sleep.

Alexis felt the bed shift and removed her hands from her face. Turning to her left, Alex was slowly waking up, stretching and yawning. He blinked and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before looking around the room. He when he turned to his right, he made eye contact with his blonde partner. His darker complexion made it harder to spot, but Alexis saw that his cheeks had gone a little red. Nonetheless he smiled, similarly to a child who had gotten a candy bar.

"Good morning Alexis." he yawned and stretched again as he sat up, cracking his back.

"Morning Alex, sleep well?"

"Yup. It was actually one of the best nights of sleep of gotten in years." he explained. "You?"

She had slept VERY well. "I slept great as well" she nodded in agreement.

"That's good." he looked around for a clock but couldn't find one. Stretching his legs as he got up, he walked over to his scroll and checked the time. It was around 9:45. "Mind if I take a shower first?"

"Sure." she said as she laid back down. He padded over to the bags and grabbed his towel and shampoo, closing the door on the way out. The blonde frowned, not only did the bed feel colder without him, it didn't feel right. To her at least. It felt empty.

Her mind wandered to other things as she got up. She grabbed her own towels and set them on them on the desk. She was wondering what Atticus was doing, though that question was short lived as she heard him curse in the kitchen. He was cooking breakfast, or trying to apparently. She checked her scroll, seeing the ton of notifications now that they returned to place with a lot better service. She casually checked his scroll as well.

Many people would consider that as a form of invasion of privacy. And she even asked him about it when he had caught her browsing on it. She was expecting the typical response that she's heard and seen on the Internet time and again; acting nervous and quickly snatching their phone back.

That wasn't the case at all. He asked what she was doing and continued to work on whatever it was he was working on. No hassle, none of those horror stories that causes her to question his motives.

The blonde flicked casually through his Camera Roll. Yang had insisted on taking as many pictures as she could of them together and would send them to him. There were some that she took with the front facing camera, making funny or weird faces. There were also pictures of the two of them, Alexis making some weird faces or pointing at Alex while he would be working.

She smiled as she closed the gallery, opening the social media app Instagram to see what she was missing out on. His feed consisted of a few pages he followed, mainly focused on cars and Grifball. Scrolling down she saw a video Yang had posted yesterday. Turning up the volume, she watched the brawler's antics.

Yang faced the camera "OK, so both Ruby and Weiss have gone out and they're supposed to be back by now-" the camera switched to the rear camera "so I tied this string that holds this bucket of water above the door. When they open the door, they're going to get soaked!"

The camera then cut as it was placed in a hidden location. There were voices coming from the outside as the knob began to turn. Once the door opened, the bucket dropped its contents on the person who opened it. Unfortunately, it wasn't Weiss nor Ruby. They were standing outside, out of the shot.

The blonde walked out of her hiding spot as she covered her mouth in shock, and was about to apologize but stopped as Blake glared at her.

"You have ten seconds to run for your life Yang." she growled. The blonde was about to open her mouth, but instead borrowed her sister semblance and bolted out the room. Exactly ten seconds later, Blake went after her. The video ended there as it started over.

Alexis chuckled and shook her head. Yang had lived a good life. She looked at the caption. "It's clear that cats don't like getting wet." then a winky emoji and a kiss blowing one.

The blonde continued scrolling through his feed. Ruby had posted a picture of her and Weiss studying in the library together, but was surprised to see that Weiss had looked up and actually gave a small smile as the picture was taken. The caption was "Study time with my BFF!"

Closing instagram, she opened Snapchat. After refreshing, there was a list of people who had updated their stories. Ruby's was just about her and Weiss in the library, Jaune had posted about his training with Pyrrah, followed by the injuries he sustained, Pyrrah took one about her food, Nora had a few about her lunch, Ren, the BCON tournament, Ren, and about how cute the cookies she ate were. And Ren.

The second to last one was of Yang, who seemed to be cooking. She was cooking spaghetti. The blonde narrowed her eyes in suspicion, that kitchen looked oddly familiar. She gasped as the last snap was a video, telling Weiss, Ruby and Blake the dinner was ready. Ruby and Weiss were sitting on their couch and Blake was on Alex's bed, boots off as she read her book.

She sent a chat, confronting her as Team RWBY used their room. Knowing that she wouldn't read it until later, she checked on the last person.

It was her own Snapchat story. Opening it, the first picture was of him as he got up to get ready for his match. The next one was of her new scroll, and the last one was of the delicious food she ate yesterday.

She closed snapchat and plugged his scroll back in, at the same time the door opened. Inside walked Alex, who was clad nothing but in a towel. Her mouth opened on its own accord as he closed the door and headed for their bags. He fished out his jeans, his long sleeve shirt and short sleeve shirt, his boxers and socks and grabbed his shoes.

"The shower's free Lex." He said as he placed everything neatly and looked over to her. "Atticus said that he was cooking food for us, and told me to tell you to get ready." He went back to clothes as the blonde nodded dumbly. It's as if he did this on purpose. His toned body wet with water, taunting her to touch his forming muscles, run her fingers on his somewhat visible abs…

She shook herself out of it and grabbed her towels. Again, she noticed that he had glanced over to the floor near her but she ignored it as she went to take her own shower. Two can play that game.

Alex moisturized and did his thing. Seeing as Alexis wasn't in the room he decided to just put on his boxers for now, air drying the rest of his body as he grabbed his scroll and checked the news. He was contemplating stopping by the Company to check on it. Stocks were at a high at the opening bell, seeing as people wanted a piece of the pie. He announced before he left that PNA was going to go private by the end of the year, maybe he could finalize it before the end of the year.

He closed the news app and fired up the social media apps, seeing the same video Alexis saw of Blake getting wet at the hands of Yang, Ruby's selfie with Weiss, and watching a few of the skills video from his favorite grifball pages.

It wasn't until he was paired with Alexis that he started actively using these apps (Read, just using them, not posting very often.) He knew of Instagram and Snapchat, but never really cared to use them. She made him his account for both social media apps , which was his GamerID for all the games he played, and taught him how to use them. He understood most of it, but yet still doesn't understand how a colon and parenthesis make a smiley face.

The last video he saw was a classic, it was Pato's run against Vale's Varcelona from 4 years ago as he opened the Clubs Champions League with a goal against the Champions from the year prior. It was back when he played for GAC Milan. He double tapped on the video, the heart coming up before he closed it and brought up Snapchat.

He quickly went through the stories, and took his time watching his partner's snapchat. He chuckled as she took candid pictures of him. He didn't like taking pictures if it wasn't necessary, but Alexis always made it fun. Making funny faces, or just trying to annoy him she always made him smile.

He had lost track of time and the door opened. His head snapped up and his mouth went wide. Alexis hadn't noticed and closed the door before turning and locking eyes with the brunette CEO. They both stood still, eyes still locked on each other. Alexis blushed as he was stark naked save for his boxers, and she was stark naked save for the towels covering her nethers and breasts.

"Alex! I thought you would be done by now!" She said a little too loudly, and didn't hear the footsteps behind her heart beating loudly in her ears.

"Sorry! I just lost track of time and was-" They both jumped at the sound of a fist hitting the door.

"You two better not be doing anything inappropriate in there! Breakfast is almost ready!" Atticus said as he walked away.

He grabbed her bag and placed it on the bed as he began to change with his back turned to her to give her privacy. Again, she noticed that he quickly glanced towards her feet once before turning around and continuing to change.

They changed quickly, though she nearly put on his shirt and he nearly put on her jeans, and straightened out any wrinkles on their clothing. Alex was wearing a Navy blue shirt with his emblem on the right hand side this time. Navy Blue jeans to match and the shoes he wore yesterday.

Alexis had grabbed another one of her signature sleeveless cobalt blue vests, and grabbed a long sleeve turtle neck for the cold. She wore lose-ish jeans and finished off with some Red Converses. They were infinitely more comfortable, and was thinking of maybe switching her footwear for Beacon.

Alex grabbed a small dollop of gel and slicked his hair back before handing it to Alexis, who applied just the smallest amount to keep her hair mostly still. She had mastered the ability to do it at this point.

They each gave themselves a look in the mirror, and with their curiosity gave each other a look over as well.

"You look wonderful."

"And you look handsome yourself." She nodded with a smile. She grabbed his hand and opened the door. "Come on, let's see what Atticus cooked up."

She led him to the small kitchen and saw Rei eating her breakfast at the dining table. Alexis was surprised when she heard Alex tell her that her brother was making food. He was a TERRIBLE cook.

"Hey sleepy heads, glad you could join us!" The long haired brunette said as he placed two plates on the table. "Bowl Apetite!"

Both they all groaned in unison as Atticus shit eating grin widened at their reaction. No one was a better pun master!

"He's been saying that for weeks! He found a lunch at the store called 'Bowl Apetite' and he's been going on for the better part of three weeks now." Rei explained as she was contemplating castrating him then and there.

"We've been hearing that at Beacon for the past two weeks." Alex began "Yang probably found the same lunch somewhere on campus and every single damn time she's about to eat lunch, she says "Bowl Apetite." More like 'Bowl-Voyage' if anything else." He sat up in his chair.

"That's a good one right there!" Atticus acknowledged his response pun. He grabbed his own plate and sat across from Alex and Alexis, next to Rei and they all started to eat.

"This isn't half-bad, when did you learn to cook Atti?" The blonde asked, his food didn't taste like fungus with chili. It actually tasted good.

"That would be moi." Rei raised her hand as she took credit. "I took him under my wing of guidance and taught his sorry butt how to whip up a mean breakfast."

The cook nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, Lexi knows that my cooking before was…not good."

"That's an understatement."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad!"

"Atti, when you tried make that baked potato, it was so undercooked it could be a part of freaking toy story!" He cringed as he remembered. It could pass as a hockey puck.

"Yeah, I remember how he tried to wow me by making squid." The blue haired woman sat back, swiping her bangs away to fully display mirth-filled eyes. "It was so undercooked that I swear I could hear it telling SpongeBob to piss off."

Atticus pouted, looking away from them and finding a route to escape the teasing. His eyes locked on to his target, the brunette teen sitting next to Alexis. "I bet my food taste better than his though." He instigated.

Alexis blinked before she began to laugh. Oh, that was rich. Her brother's food may have improved, but Alex's culinary skills were only outmatched by his skills on the field. "Oh Atti…" She shook her head.

"Wait, you can cook?" Rei asked as she watched the blonde's reaction. He had his mouth full so he just nodded in the affirmative. "And why didn't you tell me?"

He swallowed his food and had some juice before responding. "Because you never brought it up."

"I…Fair point." She crossed her arms as well, conceding defeat. "Can he seriously cook though?" She asked the blonde."

She nodded her head with confidence. "Oh yes. He can cook, very well."

"What was the best thing he's made then?"

She thought about it for a second, turning to Alex who was watching their conversation and briefly made eye contact, and turned to Rei again. "Definitely the steak we had for lunch yesterday."

"I see." Rei nodded, before turning towards her boss. A few moments of silence passed as they continued eating before the blue haired teen changed the subject "So, when is this tournament supposed to start?"

"Friday. I think."

"And you said that we aren't going to fight?"

"It's a 2 on 2 Tournament." Alexis explained. "Usually it's like this so that the entire team doesn't suffer from fatigue. The only time that the entire team has to fight would be in the case of the Final."

"Right." Atticus nodded. "And how far did you say you had to make it?"

"The first round of the Knockout Stage." Alex added.

"Right. And have you thought what would happen if you made it past the first Knockout Round?"

Both the blonde and brunette looked at eachother, before turning back to the other two and shrugging. "We haven't really even had an actual training session yet." He acknowledged.

"What?!" Atticus and Rei gasped in shock. "How are you guys alive?"

"What do yo-No! I don't mean we haven't trained at all, I meant we haven't had a formal training session as part of our new team yet. We trained with Team RWBY, splitting into two teams of three that would be scrambled."

"Oh, I was about to say 'Sissy! You're slacking off!' Thank god that isn't the case."

"Nonsense. We're doing well in our Combat Class thank you very much." Alexis boasted proudly.

"Really now? Do tell."

"Our last graded spar for the semester was last week, and we both won."

"Graded Spar?" Rei asked, recoiling in confusion.

"Think of it like a League Table." Alex explained it to her in a way that made more realistic sense. "The more wins you have, the higher you are on the table."

"And where did you two finish and with what record?" Atticus asked, hoping his sister did well.

"Top 5." Alexis answered first, she finished Ahead of Blake, but behind a few others.

"And you?" Rei nodded towards her boss.

"Tied for First." He grinned and jabbed a finger at himself.

"Really now? With who?"

"One Pyrrah Nikos." He continued on proudly, grinning smugly. "We both have 13 wins, 1 draw and one loss."

"Who did you lose and draw to?"

"I lost to Yang…again. And I drew against Pyrrah. And because my name starts with an A, I topped the Table!"

"What a shitty way to top the table." His assistant said off-handedly. Alex just scowled.

"To be fair, I did better than I thought I would. I was thinking, eh, mid table-ish. Maybe behind Ruby, probably ahead of Jaune and Cardin."

She hummed and nodded. "Do you think you can get to that stage and buy your professor enough time to do what she needs to?"

"I'm hoping we can. But we need a place to train."

"I'm sure that Rui Patri will let us use the indoor center. We can probably stop by and ask."

"How is he is doing? Last I heard the U-21 won promotion into the youth Bundesliga."

"Mid-Table. No one has really shined in the Academy." Rei really meant to say 'They were banking on you to not leave.'

"Right." He caught on to her cryptic message. "I guess we should go then, maybe we can get a team training session last minute or something." He said.

Everyone nodded in agreement, both Rei and Atticus went to fetch some workout gear to take on the chance they do train.

"So what did she mean by that?" The blonde asked, having caught on to Rei's cryptic message.

Alex winced, Rei was a little too obvious with her body language and Alexis is too perceptive sometimes.. "Ah." He scratched his head, causing Alexis to raise an eyebrow at his hesitation. "I've told you how my dad used to play here, and how he used his connection for me."

"Uh huh."

"Well, they had sent some trainers to patch so that I could learn from them. Though they left after two years, they told my dad that they saw some potential. And since my mom did not want me to become a hunter like themselves, an she convinced my dad to try and see if they could move to Atlas and I would Attend City Youth Academy. Things happened and I never went." Alexis nodded again, understanding what 'Things' meant. "Well, Rei told me that apparently the scouts and trainers believe that I could've been a prodigy player."

"I saw that during your match yesterday."

"I've been trying to incorporate it into the spars. Not so much the hunts, at least not yet. It's an alternative to me running up to them and risking getting injured. Besides, it's not the weirdest way to fight Grimm. I'm sure there is someone who uses a trumpet or someone who rollerblades, hell Coco uses a purse!"

They both turned at the low whistle that a male gave from behind, both Atticus and Rei had their gym bags and ready to go. They both had their weapons as well. "Are we going to stand here and listen to you two say sugary stuff to eachother or are we going to hit eachother?" Alexis dropped her arms and grabbed their stuff from her room, throwing him his bag and his scroll. She had her own bag and scroll as she walked out as well. "We'll take my truck." He said as he opened the door to the garage.

"What truck? When did you-"She was cut off by the sight of a large, yellow pickup truck.

"You have a VelociRaptor?" Alex asked in awe, eyes sparkling like a child.

Atticus grinned. "Yup. You wanna drive?" He dangled the keys in front of him, like someone teasing him with the prospect of candy. "I don't know where we're going, so it's better if you do it." He explained.

Alex nearly took his arm off as he grabbed the keys, his face one of pure wonderment and awe at driving one of the fastest pickups on the planet. "Get in!"

They all piled into the spacious interior and Alex started the car. The big engine roaring to life and the brunette nearly fainted at the sound of the engine. Atticus opened the garage door and Alex slowly eased out as he didn't know whether or not it cleared the garage door itself, not wanting to damage the vehicle.

As soon as he was infront of the driveway, he closed the door and he pulled onto the road towards the Training Facility. The brunette was already surprised by how close they were to the Aerostadio, according to the Navigation they were only 20 or so miles from the City Grifball Club Training Campus.

If they could get access to the training center, then they could have a slightly better chance to compete with the other teams that he and Alexis were going to face. If the owners wanted to play hardball, he could always threaten to pull funds from the Team. The PNA's funding of the City Group's Training campus and to some extent the team itself was one of the biggest open secrets of the Sports World, next to the Schnee Dust Company sponsoring rivals United CG out of spite.

"The team was the best choice" my ass' he thought to himself, chuckling at their excuse.

He got onto the freeway that would mostly take him there, listening to the other three converse about whatever they were. Actually scratch that, it was Alexis taking the brunt of her brother's non-stop teasing about Alex having to share a bed with her. Atticus was relentless, innuendos were thrown at them both as they tried to say something, but any word that came out of their mouths were basically more ammo for the long haired brunette. Even Rei was getting in on it, not phased one bit by her boss's threats of dismissal.

The conversation died down, Atticus finally having run out of steam as he sat back with a smug grin on his face. As they listened to the radio in comfortable silence, Rei sat up to inform him of a few things.

. He didn't know whether or not either of them would remember him, as the last time he was in contact with them was when his dad had brought scouts. The Owner was friends with Alex's mom and his Dad was on friendly terms with the manager, but that didn't mean he had an advantage in terms of starting, he still had to earn his place. And that extended to scouting, Alex still had to go through the Youth System before getting recognition.

"Well, Last night while you slept together-" She teased, causing him to swing blindly at her "I pulled some strings." She said as Alex turned off on the correct exit, they were only a mile or so from the training facility, taking the isolated road behind the actual stadium itself.

"Really now?" He asked, surprised that anyone would be up at that time, let alone take a phone call.

"Yup." She popped the 'P' "In fact, there they are!" She pointed to the two who were waving at them on the sidewalk. Alex parked the truck in the closest parking space near to them and turned the ignition off. They all got out of the car as Alex was the first to approach the men. One was in a training tracksuit, and the other was in a Suit.

"Mr. Rojo, we've been expecting you." The person in the suit said as he extended his hand, the brunette firmly grasping it and shaking it. "Alright, I'll drop the formalities since you probably deal with that already. How are you kid?"

Alex sighed internally in relief. "I'm fine, how about you?" He said as he shook the Manager's hand.

"Well, now I'm doing better. I got a call at the ungodly hour of 1 in the morning from Celina, telling me that you wanted to use our Multi-Million Lien Training Facility-

"That my company funded.' He interjected.

"That PNA funded, to train for an upcoming competition in competitive Hunters Combat." He finished. He laughed heartily and patted the boy's shoulder. "Your mother would have my head Alexander." He said as he cleared his throat. "Your parents are the reason that we're a thing at the highest level of the game, your dad was one of the best Strikers and Emergency Goalkeeper that has ever passed through 'Die Jugendabteilung (The Youth Department)'. And your Mother kept sponsoring our Team when not even the local Store would do it for free. We owe you and the company our eternaly thanks." He explained the history to him and to the others.

XXX

wiki/City_G.C.

The PNA has a long standing history with City GC. The first team manager used to work for the company as a design specialist, for example. The team has been sponsored for the majority of its existence by the company (barring a brief stint when all Atlesian Teams were banned from international Competition, for more information, see "The Hershey Disaster").

The most prominent example of good relations between the club and the company would be when then head of the company Jasmine Rojo- Nee Rayoblanco funded the construction of the Multi-Million Lien Training Ground, The Aero Campus. This happened around the same time that her husband, Three Time Atstrailian Champions League Winner Alessandro Rojo, signed a new deal with the team that would keep him with the club until his mid-thirties….

XXX

"So I understand, and you are free to use the Aero Campus." However, we do require your services.

This was an easy decision, this month was definitely her month. "Alright, I'll do it."

Alex recoiled in surprise, turning to Rei with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged and turned towards the manager again.

"If anything comes up I'll let you two know. For now, we just need you two as help. In return, you are allowed to use the facities as you please. Just don't break anything." He said as he jotted on his clipboard. "First Training session is on Monday." He said as he began to walk away.

"Rei, what did you tell him?" he asked in a lower tone.

"Relax, I just told him we needed a place to train. I didn't think he would make us play."

He pinched his nose and sighed as they began walking to one of the gyms. "Rei, I haven't played since I was 10."

"But I did see your fight in that thing Beacon is having." She clarified when he gave her a weird look. "That BCON thing."

"How?"

"Someone streamed the whole thing through "

"What the hell is that?"

"A streaming app, did you not just listen to what I said? They stream all sorts of Competitive Fighting Competitions. Copa Defendores, The Atlesian Champions League, and any smaller regional tournaments. I saw yours against that dude with the brown hair, you are more than capable of still being a starter." They entered the gym

"She's right Alex." Alexis said, walking right next to him. "Plus, it wouldn't be so bad to see you play. If you do that is." She nodded.

"My sissy wants to see him wearing shorts as well…" Atticus interjected as well. Alexis growled, but seeing as they were in the gym, she came up with a good idea.

"How about we start off with a spar, to get to know our styles. That we can figure out what to work on." Her eyes had a mischievous glint.

Rei, being the ever so eagle eyed person, caught on to the look that she gave her brother. "Sure." She said as she followed the blonde to the dressing room.

The boys went to their own separate dressing room to change into their workout attire. Atticus was wearing a compression shirt and some black sweat pants and some worn out white sneakers. He activated his weapon.

"Haven't used this in a while." He said, running his hand over his weapon.

Alex looked at the fine piece of engineering. It looked…oddly familiar. He must've been staring for too long because Atticus grinned as he took another look. "Like it? Took me quite a bit to make it actually. I named her Red Bullseye."

"It looks…familiar." He acknowledged, causing the brunette across from him to nod.

"Yeah, probably Lexi's. Though hers is different in actual use. I assume she's kept the sword and shield thing, like gladiators?"

"Yeah, but she traded the long sword she came with for a Katana." He explained as he ran diagnostics on Frameskip.

"Ah…" Atticus said as he rubbed his head. "I meant to help her replace that. It weighed like 20 pounds."

"I got to wear it, it was pretty heavy. Especially when this is the heaviest thing I've worn." He lifted his own wrist to show off the blasted black colored smartwatch.

The older sibling recoiled in surprise. "Wait, she let YOU wear Saber Angel?"

Alex nodded, narrowing his eyes at the shock of his voice. "Yeah. It was for a costume party, we all had to swap into our partners outfit."

"So wait, you…" He pointed before bursting out laughing. "You wore a skirt! PNA's boss wore a skirt! Rich, too rich!" He gawffed.

Alex lowered his eyelids in annoyance, crossing his arms as he let the guy get his laughs at his expense. "Yeah, laugh it up." He drawled.

"Oh god. Please tell me someone has pictures." He said, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"No one." He lied, Yang took several most likely.

"I doubt that. Anywhose, we're keeping them waiting and that's rude." He said as he jogged out the door. Alex sighed heavily, the 'Yang Effect' was going to be brutal.

The others were waiting, talking about something that had Rei looking a little red and Alexis looking smug. Alex couldn't deny that she could definitely pull off that smirk.

Rei was wearing the Female issued City CG training attire, consisting of a black sports bra, and sky blue shirt and shorts with indoor futsal shoes. Her hair was tied into a bun and she had a sweatband on her right wrist and a bracelet that resembled a fitness band on her left. Because of the silver finish, one could easily spot the machine grills that faced away from her.

Atticus was connecting something to the hook anchors near the joint of his weapon. He was wearing some sweatpants and a muscle shirt, the pants black and the shirt white. His shoes were just some old tennis shoes.

Alexis was flipping the sight of her weapon, making sure that she could feed the dust into the blade without an issue this time. She was wearing an old shirt that said 'Let's Dance!' in white letters. She was also wearing sweatpants and some old tennis shoes as well, different.

Alex was wearing his training kit, which had a resemblance to Rei's. Though his was blood red and had his emblem instead of the team's insignia, along with black shorts with a red stripe and some black lowtop sneakers.

"So how do we choose our teams?" Rei asked as she clicked her bracelets lower section.

"I say we do Sibling v Corporate." Atticus suggested. Rei nodded In agreement, each would have someone and it wouldn't be a one-sided slaughterhouse.

Alexis wasn't on board, wanting to fight against him for the sheer amount of teasing he put both her and Alex through. She was about to protest, but was stopped as Alex noticed that she was about to.

"To be fair, they've been out of action for some time. Give them this, then we help them a bit and then we sit them down." He explained softly so the other two couldn't hear them, having read her facial expressions. She nodded, he did make a good point.

"Alrighty then, so we doing this or what?" The long haired brunette said as he stretched. They both nodded as they went onto opposite sides of the Gym with their respective 'partners' for the bout.

Rei cracked her knuckles at the countdown above them, activating her weapon. Yellow Dust began slowly expel from the holes and land towards the ground, but instead of falling flat to the ground they began to clump together and form a spherical object, resembling a ball.

Alexis and Atticus had their weapons filtering dust, Alexis' saber angel was glowing blue and so was Atticus edged blade. However, as soon as the entire thing was glowing blue, the entirety of the blade, basically the entire triangle part that was connected to the circular shield, turned a full 90 degrees so that instead of looking fat and short it was now thin and tall. Alex noticed that there was a hole at the tip.

"Um, Rei. What's Atticus's weapon?" Alex asked her, though a bit too late as the bell rang to signal the start.

Atticus disconnected the joint that held the curved blade into place and grabbed it from beneath the center, he then grabbed something from his pouch and placed it into the small slit. Hearing the 'click' he pulled it back and released it. It was a bow and arrow, minus the bowstring.

The brunette narrowly managed to dive out of the way as it whizzed past, breaking up behind him as it missed his target. With the shake of his arm, Frameskip began to filter out some red dust. At the same time, it deployed a Nano coating around his left hand that acted like a glove. Then the red dust began to cover the 'glove' until it was glowing a blood red color. Using his thumb as a sight, he threw a punch. The 'glove' made a gunshot sound and fired the explosive dust towards the older brother.

Alex noticed that Rei and Alexis were in close combat, Rei having to block Alexis' hits as she couldn't get any on her. He managed to grab her attention with several punches as Rei backed off to recover. The blonde swung Saber Angel and Frameskip activated 'Just Defense'

The concept of 'Just Defense' was that Alex would take the blow, however Frameskip would be able to use the power from the hit he took and convert it into extra power that would then be used to strength his attack the next time he landed a successful kick or punch. The closer the hit was to frameskip, the more power would be absorbed and the less the hit would hurt.

She landed her slash on his hand, his aura rebounding it so that he didn't lose it. He retaliated by landing a punch to her midsection, the hit doing more damage as the ability of 'Just Defense' activated.

The blonde released a pained grunt, not expecting the hit to actually be that powerful. She went on the defensive. It gave Atticus enough time to Line up Bullseye and fire…

It would've, if it wasn't for the searing electrical surge that he just suffered. Rei had hoofed the dust-filled ball with a decently powered kick, landing a few inches from him as it burst open. Alexis backed off from that side and went on the cautious defensive, in case she did it again.

Alex looked from them to Rei, before something clicked. As the others were over there, he jogged to the blue haired woman to explain his plan.

"I got an idea." He told her as they took caution in letting their guard down.

"What's up?"

"I think we may be able to get something going here." He began, covering his mouth with his hand "But we need to play with it a little. Spawn another ball with Setpiece.

"Why?"

He smirked behind his hand. He made the 'back and forth gesture' with both index fingers.

"Oh..." She nodded in understanding as Setpiece began to fizzle out some more dust, this time some purple dust and a little bit of white dust to conceal the purple.

Alex stood a few away from Rei, nodding that he was ready. She nodded as well, she was ready as well.

Atticus nodded to Alexis as she finished checking on him, apparently the electricity surged through his weapon and gave him a shock. The long haired brunette made a note to look into it.

"Alright, sorry for the wait. Now we can start." He said as he placed the rod in the slot. The flat bottom then sharpened with a red tip as Red Dust bled from the bow.

Rei pushed the ball forward with her left foot and they both began to gain ground as the other two stood theirs. Alexis began to fire using the secondary function on Saber Angel, and Atticus was firing arrows at them. He was aiming for that dreaded ball, knowing that Rei would be less effective without it.

As they approached them, Atticus braced for it to hit and was ready to block. He was taken by surprise as she passed it to Alex and she slid tackled him. They both quickly got up and Rei began landing several kicks as the brunette tried his best to block them, only managing to block every other or so.

Alexis was the unfortunate recipient of Gravity infused fog as her body suddenly felt heavier in the mist. She hadn't been really exposed to Gravity Dust until the last 4 months of her final year at Atlas Academy Second Division. She managed to block a punch that was coming from the fog and went on the defensive as she tried to find a way out of the mist.

As she finally was able to leave the heavier environment, she was assaulted by a barrage of kicks that mostly hit their target. Once he backed off, it gave her enough time to deploy her defensive ballistic brace. Or DBB. The disk on her arm would flatten into a rectangle before deploying in fashion similar to riot police gear.

Alex responded by activating Frameskip's own 'Riot' Countermeasure. Though his was a lot more portable than Alexis'. This time, his was green dust. He slammed his Shield against hers, causing her arm to tremble violently, as if a car had tried to smash into her ballistic protection. She released the button that held it together and swiped at him with her. She landed a hit, cutting through the Green Dust 'Countermeasure' and forcing Frameskip to abandon it, dropping the rest of it to the ground as it evaporated.

Atticus had gained the upper hand was laying the smack down again as Rei was having issue blocking his hits. He began to slow down as the fatigue started to take a toll and Rei capitalized, landing several kicks and slide tackling him in a scissors tackle and causing him to land face first against the polished wood. Setpiece exhausted some more dust into the palm of the blue haired fighter's hand and she clapped both her hands together, a small boom echoing around the solitary gym as she was now wielding fire.

How this worked (without burning her) is that the Dust released is mixed with a type of nanocoating that covers the dust particles, allowing Rei to touch fire without actually hurting her. Though she only has a limited amount of time before the coating melts off or freezes

Atticus' eyes widened as Rei threw a fire-fueled punch at him, hitting him in the midsection before swiping his feet from beneath him and landing a hard hit that sent him on his back looking to the heavens.

Alex was having an easier time with Alexis, the blonde was making her moves easier to read as she struggled to claw ground. She used Saber to block an attempted slide tackle, the blade of the katana shooting out ice dust and acting as a wall so that he couldn't get her. The brunette began to get impatient with the small amount of ground he's gained, so he backed off and deployed his dustball.

He ordered Frameskip to spawn Stamp, the name of the grifball esque ball of compact Ice, Gravity and/or Fire Dust. Ice is always the base of the ball, Gravity would cause her to be pushed away and the fire would ignite the secondary effect of gravity dust, a sonic wave. He filled it with his aura for extra "oomph" before letting it roll on the floor in front of him. Alex saw that Alexis was preparing to defend and possibly cut it in half, so he let it roll some feet in front of him before launching it low but with power. It would make it difficult for her to do anything against it.

Alexis decided against her initial plan and simply jumped away, thinking she would be safe enough away from it as it rolled behind her. Her eyes widened as she noticed that it began to roll back towards her and before she could get more than three steps it exploded, the shock wave sweeping her off her feet and causing her to go airborne. She felt the wind get knocked out of her as a foot that was glowing blue was pressed against her stomach as the feeling of air holes pushed her away and out of the designated ring. A buzzard sounded as they looked up to the small scoreboard, two outs which meant two points for Team 'Corporate'.

Alex jogged over to Rei and gave her a high-five "That was good. Though your creation of Stamps needs work."

"What do you mean?" She asked as she caught her breath.

"You chose to spawn the Stamps too close to the person you were fighting. Try to for it as your running or even before that. They'll try and take it from you or just stand there confused. Then you can land some hits on them and bam. Easy point." He explained to the blue haired woman.

She nodded, taking mental note of his advice. "Thanks."

The other two walked over towards them, Atticus clutching at his chest as he could feel his heartbeat. "God that freaking hurts! It's like, someone punching you while at the same time stabbing you with an icicle."

"Heh, sorry." Alex apologized, not meaning to go that hard. "I did notice a few things that could be improved on though, so it wasn't like your injury was in vain." He explained.

Tapping Frameskip, he brought up the spar from the center camera that looks down towards them. He fast forward throughout the match, pointing out obvious places that could be exposed. For example, he needed to improve on keeping his eyes forward. Alexis would benefit if she could keep her hand outstretched a few inches, in order to allow her to hook a hand under someone's arm if they tried to come at her from that side.

He also praised Rei and Atticus, who did surprise him by doing well.

"Well duh! I went to Atlas Academy Second Division with my sissy! I was the best one there!" He boasted. The blonde just sighed, but did nod in agreement.

"Yeah, he was the best in our class. And yes he is this vocal about it whenever you bring it up."

"Plus, Rei went to Sanctum with Pyrrha freakin' Nikos!" The blue haired teen just shrugged and smiled."

He also explained what he saw could be improved. The older Brown haired teen surprised Alexis, he actually paid attention as Alex explained the small niggles that can be worked out with some training. Finally, Alex brought up an idea that he had been cooking up since he got here.

"Wait, you want us to do….what?" Alexis asked her partner, slightly confused at his proposal.

"I want you and Atticus to learn to use Stamp." He explained as he created another one, this one of pure Ice. He dropped it to the ground and gently rolled it towards the sibilings.

"And why should we do that?" Atticus asked with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

Alex then went into very, very great detail on why they should learn to at least get a touch with Stamp. The fact that they wouldn't have to waste so much dust on spawning more Stamps, or having to worry about not being able to spawn another due to one reason or another. As he continued going into detail about how it could also help the team dynamic, the siblings had gotten his point. And they were willing to try. They gave a single nod to each other and Alexis stopped the Brunettes long winded explanation on how this could help the team's chemistry.

"Alex."

"And we could also learn to no-touch pass-"

"Along with being able to maintain control of most of the Combat area-"

"Alex."

"AND we can keep the other team behind this sort of wall with two stamps-"

"Alex!"

"Yes?" He looked over to the blonde, his full attention on her now.

"I-We get it. And we can see that this could be beneficial to the team. So we are both willing to try to learn how to use…that."

"It's called a "Stamp"'

"That. We are willing to learn."

"Great! It's not that complicated, but our first training sessions at Beacon will be a little bit longer so we can get the hang of it." He explained. He brought up frameskip to check the time. "Its around 2:30. Maybe we should call it early?"

"Yeah, I need to finish up some stuff for the company anyway. And luckily for you, that requires you to be there." Rei explained to the boy, causing him to groan. "And no groaning. You had almost 4 months of vacation time."

"Homework does not constitute as 'Vacation Time'" Alex mocked her.

"It does when your VP has to do all the hard paperwork by herself. Stop whining, it's only for a few hours. You've already streamlined a lot of the day to day operations that involved sitting around and doing piss-all."

"Thank God for that." He scratched the back of his head. "Let's get cleaned up then. I hope you two don't mind if we stop by the office."

"It's fine." Alexis answered.

"Yeah, 'sides we still need to do something in you-"

SMACK

In cartoon like fashion, Rei delivered a swift punch to the brown haired teen's lower sensitive region, causing him to squeal in pain at a very high pitch. The blue-haired woman herself was scarlet as she tugged Alexis along to the locker room.

Alex sighed and looked down at Atticus, who was writhing in pain and rolling around on the floor mumbling incoherent garble.

"Come on big boy, up you go."


	34. Chapter 34

After cleaning up and changing back into their normal clothing, the piled into Atticus' truck and went off to the PNA Office.

Unlike every single company on the face of the planet, the PNA Atlesia Office was located in a lesser congested area of the City of Manchester. But because of that, it was only 5 miles away from the SDC Main Headquarters. Atticus was driving this time, occasionally glaring at Rei as she did her up into a ponytail.

When "Normal Clothing" was mentioned, Atticus and Alexis were dressed in their regular clothing. Rei and Alex were not. They were both wearing "Corporate" attire.

Rei was wearing a Cobalt Blue Suit and Slacks combo, a company pin on the flap and matching Ankle boots that were similar to Alexis' own. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she had done up her mascara. Atticus was having issues paying attention to the road as he tried to steal glances at the Blue Haired woman.

Alex was in the back and was checking something on Frameskips Scroll Projection. He was wearing a typical Black Suit with matching black slacks and a tie, dress shoes that matched the outhit he was wearing, his hair was slicked back as best as he could considering how short it was, and Company pin on the flap on the left side. The only thing he did to his face was just apply some lip balm, his lips having gone a little dry.

The blonde was really trying her best to not stare. In fact, both siblings would be content to just stare at their partners.

After successfully not crashing the truck into the nearest hedge, they arrived at the parking garage, and were greeted by the security guard. He was an old chap, going on to 65 years old. He asked Alex something in Atlesian, and simply laughed as he tried to answer as he waved them in.

"What was that about?" Alexis asked the brunette.

"Ah, it's just Fred. He's been working here for the past 30 or so years." He explained. "I've picked up a few extra phrases here and there from him."

Atticus eventually did park on the third story, near one of the elevators. There were cars scattered around this level of the parking lot, more so than the first two levels. The parking spot was an empty one near the elevator. Though clearly it was 'Reserved', as it said on the pavement.

They all got out of the car, Rei and Alex brushing themselves off and straighting out their clothing so that they look presentable.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in that?" Atticus complimented the Blue Haired teen.

"Yes, and you've shown me how much it means to you as well." She said with a suggestive wink.

The blonde and brunette behind them hid their faces, knowing what they were on about. Atticus saw them through the corner of his eye, and nodded towards them. Rei smirked and nodded back.

"I'm sure Alexis here would like to show Alex how much that Suit makes her feel about him." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Before the blonde could murder him and stuff the body in the dumpster, The brunette stepped in and held her back. She couldn't let her kill him.

Could you imagine the headlines? Besides, body disposal costs have gone through the roof as of late.

"Lex, relax. Let's just get inside and let the President handle everything."

She mumbled something and crossed her arms before being led to the elevator.

As soon as they stepped in, Rei swiped her scroll and the door shut. Instead of feeling the elevator go up, Alexis and Atticus nearly lost their balance as the elevator shifted to the left, which meant the elevator was going right. Then it changed directions and started going up.

"What was that about?"

"Did you see where the Building was? You expected me to WALK all that way?" He asked, as if she suggested something ludicrous.

"Alexis, you seem to underestimate how lazy he can be sometimes." Rei not so subtley whispered.

He just shook his head. "People like you don't appreciate my genius. I don't call it being lazy, I call it being healthy inactivity."

"He understands me!" Atticus reached around the CEO. "I've been trying to explain Lexi and Rei this all this time!"

"Its because they don't appreciate the finer things in life." He mocked the blue haired teen by again, not so subltey whispering into his ear.

The blonde, while annoyed at her brother, was glad that Alex was getting along with him. And that they weren't at each other's throats.

There was a 'Ding!' and the doors opened to reveal a complete surprise to the Blonde. Being in the center of Manchester, and judging by a first glance at the Building, Alexis thought that it would be a generic office with cubicles for employees, a water cooler, stuff you would see on TV.

Nope

It had more of a laid back vibe going on. The level they were on, PN1 if the elevator is to be believed, looked as if it was more of a school or something of that nature. There are cubicles but they more off to the side. She could see panes of glass the farther she looked down the floor, and people walking out and into them. They looked like commons areas. There were a few people dressed in suit and tie, but most of them were dressed casually, though a bit more on the higher end of that scale.

"I see by the look on your face you're impressed?" The brunette asked her.

"Yeah, I was completely expecting some old, stuffy room with a bunch of cubicles and some bored employees but this…"

"With the shift away from Weapons of War, and the move into Technology, you need to liven the place up a little. Give it some life. It inspires creativity, otherwise you design and produce products that have an empty feeling, with no soul." He explained as he gestured around them. They passed by the commons area, people brainstorming ideas and laughing about.

"Like the Schnee Dust Company?" Rei asked, already knowing the answer.

"Precisely." He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

They passed by people that were entering or leaving the commons room or their cubicles. As they walked along, the employees shook hands with Alex, Rei and Atticus as they were more Familiar faces, and a few asking about Alexis. The blonde was looking around at all the Laptops, Scrolls, computers that she had never seen before.

They arrived to a set of doors with frosted matte glass and wooden doors. Alex placed the screen of Frameskip to the blank area of the door handle and the door unlocked and opened itself, revealing one of the biggest rooms on the floor.

The CEO's Office.

There was a huge desk right at the end of the room staring right at them. But between them and the Desk was plush carpet, two large sofas against each wall. Above each set of couches was what appeared to be a 55 Inch Television, along with two coffee tables infront of each set of couches.

Past that there was a small kitchen area. There was a Refrigerator, a stove and oven combo, some drawers for utensils, a microwave, and a-

"You have an ICEE Machine in here?" The blonde gasped in shock.

"Yes, we do." Alex grinned as she saw the huge smile on her face. Like a child during Christmas.

"If you haven't been able to tell already, she has a bit of a sweet tooth." Atticus mentioned to the boy.

"The amount of doughnuts she bought yesterday gave it away." He laughed. He turned back to her, and he noticed that she was trying to restrain herself from getting some.

"Go ahead. The cups are below the Microwave."

She briskly walked to the cups and got one, along with a lid and straw, and started to pour some of the Cherry Flavored one.

"The superior flavor, great choice." Alex nodded in agreement with the beverage flavor.

"Excuse me, I'm pretty sure that belongs to Coke flavored ICEE." Rei nodded in agreement with Atticus.

"Nope, it's Cherry." Alexis came back with drink in hand, backing up her partner.

"See? This type of negativity and just blatantly incorrectness is what I dealt with before going to Beacon!" He gestured at Rei. "I had to buy a bigger machine because she wouldn't let me have one in here without getting Coke as a flavor."

"It's the superior Flavor." Atticus mocked him, imitating his voice.

"I do not sound like that!"

"We can fight about Coke being better later. Let's get this done quickly so that we can go home."

"Right. We'll be back in a bit. You can watch anything you like there, and if you want there is a computer there." He pointed to the smaller desk that had a laptop hooked up to a small box. "You can charge your scroll there as well."

"And Atti, please don't break anything this time."

"You broke something?" Alex and Alexis both asked, though the blonde instantly grabbed her head in pain. She had drank her drink too fast, causing a nerve response and rapid constriction and swelling of blood vessels.

She had a brainfreeze.

"To be fair, you said I could touch!"

"Yes, touch. As in, not moving the bloody things!"

"Wait, he broke something?"

"That isn't important! Let's just do the thing and leave." Rei grabbed his arm and marched out.

Alexis took a seat on his chair and laid back. It was very, very comfortable. And there was a faint smell of his cologne in the leather of it as well. She spun in her chair, looking around the office. Behind her was the thick window that separated them from the outside, she could see the entire city below. Off in the distance was the Aero Stadium and not too far from it was the Aero Training Campus.

On the Desk were a few pictures. There was one with a young boy smiling widely, a front tooth missing and a medal in one hand with a ball tucked in the other. He had a baby blue shirt that was very loose fitting and white shorts and socks.

Next to that, there was another picture. This time a blonde with Pigtails was had a little girl with red hair above her shoulders, and a boy with slicked back hair was next to them. They were all smiling for the camera.

The last one was framed in a special frame. It was all black, and it was clear that the glass was thicker than the other Frames. It was a Brunette Woman, who looked no older than 30, was sitting next to a brunette man who looked around the same age and in the middle was a small boy who looked like he was about 4 years old. They were all smiling and facing the camera.

Alexis leaned back into the chair as she realized that these two were Alex's parents. She could tell what came from where. His eyes were clearly his mother's, as hers where Brown like his own while his father had teal eyes. His nose was his Mother's as well, his hair was like his father, mouth and ears were his father, cheeks belonged to mom, his-

"You are really into that picture." Atticus nodded at the frame in her hands.. And he was partially right too. She was really into the picture. Partly because she now knew what his parent's look liked…

But also because she never got to even have a family photo. Nothing to remember her own parents by. She smiled sadly, her finger brushing the glass. She jerked her had back slightly as her finger pressed a button on the side and the inside turned over to reveal black. A second later, a splash screen with the company logo appeared, before arriving at a lock screen. She stared at it for a few seconds and it acted on its own, unlocking and going straight to the gallery application. The gallery then displayed some video clip previews, allowing her to choose which one she wants to watch

She looked over to Atticus, who was laying on the couch with his eyes closed. She tapped on the first video, the screen going black before it starts to play.

_Line_

"Mijo, corte por adentro!" (Cut Inside!). Was the loud voice that was holding the camera.

The camera itself was pointed at a child, around 5 or so, wearing bright green shirt and shorts, who had possession of a the ball and was near the corner flag. He maneuvered the ball through one of the other kids legs and was about to break into a sprint, but the other kid who was also guarding him tackled him in a scissors tackle. The brunette boy went down and was holding his knee as he cried out in pain.

"Albiltro! Es expulsion!" (Ref! That's a Red Card!) The male voice yelled again. The kid who tackled him just got up and brushed himself off, spitting in the direction of the down child. The ref went to the kid and pulled out a yellow card. "Puto Albitro es expulsion! (Fucking Ref! It's a Red Card!)

The camera was still pointed at the boy, and a brunette female figure jogged over to the injured boy, clearly in distress.

"Hey, watch it. That's my kid you're talking about." Another male voice was heard.

"You're kid nearly cut off my child's legs!" The male voice spoke in English this time, though there was a slight accent that gave away the fact English was not his first language.

"Maybe if you're kid wasn't so flashy mine wouldn't have done so."

"Maybe if your kid was actually talented he wouldn't need to injure others!" The male shot back.

The boy got up slowly, wiping his eyes as he rubbed his knee. He looked up and over to someone else, and twirled his index fingers.

The boy hobbled closer to the camera, and the scroll was at level with him. The person behind the camera must've been kneeling. "Estas bein? Puedes caminar?" (Are you OK, can you walk?)

"No." came the boy's reply as he shook his head. "Choque la rodia contra una piedra." (I think I hit my knee against a rock.)

"Alex, creo que se fracturo la patella. Tenomos que llevarlo al hospital." (Alex, I think he fractured his patella. We need to head to hospital.)

The video abruptly ended their.

_Line Break_

Alexis watched as the screen highlighted the next video. The clip she just watched must've been when Alex had just started playing Grifball. And the woman must've been his mom and the "Alex" she mentioned must've been his dad.

She tapped on the next video, again a black screen awaited her before the video began. This was much shorter, but the center of attention was a blonde female and a brunette male. The blonde was backing up as the brunette was moving forward, a ball at his feet.

"Get him Yang!" So it was Ruby, Yang and Alex when they were younger then.

As soon as she said that, Alex rolled the ball between Yang's legs before she could close them and that caused a chain reaction that ended with Yang sitting on the grass.

"Oh. Nevermind then." Was Ruby's voice behind the camera.

Before should go watch anymore, she heard footsteps and pressed the button again. The screen flipped and the photo of the three was back in place.

"You've been holding that for a few minutes now." Atticus said as he yawned, stretching his legs from where he took his seat on the other side of the desk. The blonde just shrugged, causing the brown haired boy to frown. "Lex, you can't keep thinking about 'What if'. She was a terrible person."

She nodded sadly. "I know."

He went around and kneeled next to her. "Look on the bright side, you get to make new and happier memories. And with someone that isn't me." He semi-joked, but a little bit of him was happy that she finally found someone else to be with. Though she didn't expect her to demolish her shell that fast and already be in a relationship this quickly.

He grabbed a chair and sat next to her. "So Lexi, you didn't tell me about Rich Boy. What did he do or what does he have that made you fall for him, this fast no less."

The blonde shrugged at first, placing the frame back where it was. "I mean, at first we were both paired up by force. We were both late by a week to the start of the semester and since all the teams were made up, we had to share a dorm with another team until two others showed up and another dorm opened up." She began.

"Most of the first semester so far is just review of what we learned at Atlas Academy Division 2, so we both would just spend time at the library to finish our work before heading to the dorm room."

"Are the Dorms Co-ed?" He asked.

"They are, but in our specific case Alex is the only boy. The rest are girls. Another team across from us, friends of ours, have two boys and girls on their team." She didn't notice his turn of lips when she mentioned "Friends"

"I see." Now she did notice that shit-eating grin. "So how does Rich-Boy control himself by having several naked women in one room?"

"By not being as perverted as you are, that's for starters." She crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"Alright, I'll stop." He chuckled.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her scalp, something that the Brown haired sibling noted was different. "I don't know what it is, but when I first met him. I felt as if I was physical getting pulled to him, it didn't help that he seemed interesting as well. I know its sounds cliché, the whole "Physical Attraction" thing, but whenever when he isn't nearby…" She thought out her response, trying not to sound creepy. "It's like, I know he'll be in this general area. And sure enough he is."

It didn't work. "That…sounds really creepy sis. Are you sure you don't have people watching him and texting you his location?"

"No Atti." She drawled. "It's…I don't know how to explain it." She sat up as she came up with an example. "Alright, so we were doing this thing in our combat class right? We had to basically fight off a bunch of holographic Grimm that weren't very holographic if I'm honest. And the goal was to get through the wave with the least amount of bodily harm. We would feel the pain, but instead of cuts and bruises, our damage would be calculated in Medical Expenses."

"Understandable."

"We were part of Team RWBY at the time, and the lowest scoring Team was Team JNPR. Specifically it was Ren and Nora, who had suffered the least damage. I think they only suffered Ⱡ500 in "Medical Expenses."

"That isn't that bad actually."

"I know right? So, when it was our turn we both agreed to go a little more conservative instead of Nora's approach of 'Smash all the legs!'. As soon as we started, we didn't even verbally communicate. Like, I knew where to go because I…" She paused for a second. "felt that he needed me in that position? It was as if we were in sync I guess. We moved around perfectly, he did give verbal orders though they weren't positioning orders. We managed to clear the wave in short time."

"So you guys were…connected?"

"I guess so? I don't know, but it's as if I knew that I needed to be in this place because he was going to do this. And then he did it a few moments later and it worked because I was in the right place. I want to say telepathy, but I couldn't read his thoughts."

"You would like that wouldn't you?" He teased her again, before backing off when she glared at him. "Sorry. But going back to what you were saying, that sounds freaky…yet cool at the same time. How much was your total by the way?"

"Ⱡ50"

"I'm sorry, did you just say Ⱡ50?"

"Yeah." The blonde nodded in confirmation.

"Damn. You are still keeping form! I'm so proud!" He wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Is this the first time this happened?"

"No, its happened several actually. There was an incident during our Initiation, then when we needed to collect this big chess piece thing. We have another assignment soon where we are supposed to collect some honey, so it probably won't be the last time."

"Right, and you don't mind all of this?"

"It's weird, but I've gotten used to it. It's not that bad if I'm honest." She shrugged it off.

"Wow, you really have broken out of your shell." He was truly happy that she had. "Do you think Boss Man knows about this?" This simply earned shrug as an answer.

"Maybe. I did notice that whenever he was happy with the result, I would get this happy tingle." She admitted.

"Is it…you know." He nodded down there.

SMACK.

The blonde crossed her arms and "hmphed." As she turned away, blushing scarlet. "Nothing like that! You…Fiend!"

"Alright, Alright I'm done…" He rubbed his cheek and the red hand print. "This happy tingle, how would you describe it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, seeing that he was genuinely curious. "I guess I would describe it as me being reenergized? Like I was a little tired after, but when I would see him cheering I would get this weird feeling for a few seconds and suddenly I don't feel tired. As if my Aura was replenished."

At that moment, the door opened and both the blue haired woman and the brunette, who was the topic of their conversation, walked in. They closed the door and they both took a seat. Well, one of them did…Alex just leaned against the desk as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde sitting in his comfortable CEO chair.

"Someone's gotten comfortable with the whole "My Partner is a very rich person" Situation and the accommodation it provides..." He smirked. Alexis spun around in the chair in response.

"Yeah. I mean, I've seen better at Atlas Academy." She mocked critiqued.

"Really now?"

"No, this place is livelier than Atlas Academy."

"And that is what we strive for." He snapped his fingers, before shooing her off the chair. "Now shoo, I need to do a few things before we leave."

"Make me." She challenged him, crossing his arms. Atticus watched the whole exchange play out, for his own personal research.

"Alexis, I will pick you up from the chair." He threatened. Alexis just shook her head again, refusing to leave. "Fine, I warned you."

The brunette lifted her from the chair, picking her up bridal style. Which caused the blonde to squeak as he carried her to the neared empty chair, bouncing with every step. Only to unceremoniously drop her in another chair and make his way back.

"Rude." Alexis responded as she grabbed another cup of frozen beverage.

Atticus had said nothing during the entire charade, just watching like a hawk.

The room was silent, with the exception of the clicking of the keyboard. Atticus laid back against the leather cushioning and let his eye drop slightly. Though enough that he could still see Alex typing away on his computer.

Before nodding off, his last thoughts were about how Alex was a good influence.

* * *

Author's Note: I actually forgot to update, and I had the chapters ready to go. That is a fault on my part, and I do apologize. I am trying to get a bit ahead of what I upload so that I can kind of align and Realign things without creating another monstrosity, like the beginning of the story is. I'm still tweaking thing. So lookout for that.


	35. Chapter 35

Glynda, Alexis and Alex walked through the side entrance to the arena where everyone participating was lined up side by side. Everyone who was in the tournament was in the Center Circle of the Combat area. Glynda was held back by another teacher, pointing to where she was going to stand as the other two had to line up with the others.

Alexis was wearing her regular outfit; a blue "Combat-Esque" Skirt with a white sleeveless vest with matching blue trimming, and blue ankle boots. However, because the weather in Atlas was starting to get cold so early, she was wearing a long-sleeved Turtleneck instead of her normal short sleeved one. She also had matching black "warmth" leggings, to keep her legs from freezing. Her ensemble was finished off with some blue fingerless gloveless, which in her mind might have been a mistake. Her fingers were freezing! And on her arm, Duel Disk was sheathed and inactive, though it had begun to mist over.

Alex was wearing his "Kit" attire; a Grifball Style Black Jersey with matching black shorts with a red stripe going down the left leg, and the number '1' on the right leg. His Jersey didn't have a sponsor, and there was no "Team Crest" either. There was only the Manufacturer of the Shirt on the right breast. He was wearing normal sneakers, all black with matching black laces and a red padding around the front. Socks that went up below the knee were also chosen, this time red, and underneath his jersey was a Long Sleeve Turtleneck that was thinner than Alexis', made by the same company that made his jersey. His outfit was finished off with an Armband, baring his emblem…Which was his company logo. The Three Letters. Finally, Frameskip was on his wrist, simply display the time. Oh, and some Black Gloves for his hands.

Alex was tapping on the small screen of Frameskip, his eyes lift off the rectangle projection in his hand as he noticed Alexis blowing air into her hands to keep her fingers warm. He sighed as he closed his fist, and the projection disappeared.

He pulled his gloves off and took Alexis' hands, cringing at how cold the blonde's hands actually were. Alexis watched as he put on his gloves on her hands, instantly warming up. Since her nails were as short as his, size wasn't much of an issue as she felt the at-first loose gloves being to shrink to her size.

"Alex, you really didn't have to do that. What are you going to wear?" She said as she tried taking them off, but he stopped her.

"Its fine, what doesn't kill me…makes me freeze… why is it so cold?" He looked around as he began to rub his own hands, now exposed to the cold air of the Arena.

Before the blonde could protest about the gloves the "Headmaster of Competition", if his little name tag was to be believed, cleared his throat on the mix, everyone's attention turning to him.

"What the hell is…that?" The brunette asked in disgust. Alexis sighed, this reaction was expected.

He was wearing a Blue Jacket that had several pieces of Military Gold Trimming Stolen and Placed onto the shoulders and there were gold frillings along the neck and sleeves his coattail jacket. He was very, very pale and it looked like he was wearing lipstick. Not lip-gloss, but actual pink lipstick. His blonde hair was tied into a strict and short ponytail and was parted into several sections. To top it off, he had very large earrings.

" _My I have your Attention! Today, and for the next week or so, all combat classes will be canceled. In order to determine who will be representing Atlas Academy at this Years 'Atlesian Combat Champions League', it is now time for our Qualifying Competition."_

 _"This Tournament is contested by the best pair of the best 5 teams of this fine academy, plus our invited guests from The Kingdom of Vale"._ Some students began to talk loudly amongst themselves at that, and none of it was good.

Both Alexis and Alex had to endure listening to others talk about them, standing right next to them, as the Person Speaking had paused.

" _I remember her, she snubbed coming here for that Beacon place."_

 _"Yeah, what a stupid bitch."_

 _"I bet that she wouldn't have lasted here, I hear Beacon is a lot easier."_

 _"Why doesn't she get the fact that this whole "Grimm" thing, isn't an issue? Talk about being a dumb blonde."_

 _"Have you seen her partner though? Apparently his parents are rich."_

 _"Huh, so he's a momma's boy? That would explain why he was allowed to leave the house with THAT on. Christ, someone please help this kid out."_

 _"He can have as much money as he wants, but it isn't going to buy him skill. They both might go to Beacon, but Atlas Academy is way, way better. They don't stand a chance."_

 _"Yeah, they're here instead of Team SAVR (Saviour). I wonder what they did to get here."_

 _"The boy just slipped some bills underneath the table and bam. Here they are."_

And the comments got worse and worse. Alex was about to snap and hit the next person who said something, but Alexis grabbed his arm gently.

"Alex, calm down. They're just toying with you."

"And it's working." He grit his teeth.

And the timing couldn't be perfect, because before Alexis could calm him down, the speaker resumed from where she left off.

 _"This Tournament is a Straight Elimination tournament, every match after this will be drawn one day before the actual bout in order to give each opponent 24 hours of preparation. The winner will automatically enter the Champions League, while the Runner up will enter the Final stage of the Champions League qualifying. The winners will also be awarded with this trophy" He showed off a shining silver trophy with two handles and some ribbons hanging from the handles, which elected a reaction from the peanut gallery. "-For them to keep and take home. But, in order to determine a winner, we must get through this!" He pointed at the Holographic screen above him. "It is now time for the first Match!"_

 _"The rules are as follows. The pair with the most elimination points at the end of the allotted time is declared winner, or to drain your opponents of the Aura. If a combatant is eliminated by Aura Drain, the partner has the option to forfeit. All eliminations are subject to Video Replay. No intentional blows to the crotch. And no outside interference._

That caused both Blonde and Brunette to raise an eyebrow.

The screen popped up with all 6 pairs of students that will be competing in the tournament. After tapping a few things on his scroll tablet, the pictures disappeared and a wheel began to rotate, with it cycling through all the pairs of students. The First pair selected by the Wheel was a Tan Blue Haired Teen with Googles on his head, and the other was a Tan blonde Teen with his shirt wide open.

"Neptune Vasilias and Sun Wukong."

Both students stepped forward, looking towards their potential opponents. While Sun was looking around, Neptune was flirting with a few of the girls watching, winking at them and mouthing something. In return they applauded the duo.

The wheel spun again, and after a few seconds of waiting landed on the Invited Team. _"Alexander Rojo and Alexis Blau, our Invited Guests from the Kingdom of Vale."_ Apparently, the crowd that was watching weren't exactly thrilled. If the boos coming from the upperclassman were to be believed.

"Everyone else, leave the Combat area immediately. The bout is about to begin."

Everyone walked away, and the Professors who agreed to be the students "Mentor's" were led to small area where they could stand, pace and walk around in. It was similar to a Technical Area for Grifball, except smaller in scale. Rei and Atticus had taken a seat on the benches in their Area.

"Combatants, are you ready?" He first pointed to Neptune and Sun. They nodded in the affirmative. He then pointed to Alex and Alexis, who gave thumbs up.

"Begin!"

All four of them activated their weapons at the same time. Sun whipped out his nun-chucks, Neptune's railgun made a 'beep' and was ready for use, extending the barrel. Sun connected his n

Alexis' Blade Runner extended to full mast and exhausted some dust through the blade side, and Alex's weapon released a Nano coated that encased his entire left hand, similar to a glove. It then turned blue, then white, then Green, Orange, Yellow and finally landing on red. He cracked his knuckles, allowing Frameskip to coat his other hand with the same material. His right hand went through all the colors as he left before landing on purple.

Sun and Neptune went on the offensive, Sun using Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang and going for Alexis. In its staff form, Sun was able to fight from a distance close enough to do damage, but far away enough that Alexis was unable to attack herself, forcing her to defend. Blow after blow, Sun was relentless. Alexis had begun to slowly back up, losing ground as the blonde monkey faunus continued to discourage any sort of offensive play from her.

Alex was having an even harder time with Neptune, his railgun having suddenly become Guandao and having an even longer reach than Sun's staff. And to make it worse, Alex's style required the person in question to be at arm's length away. And last time he checked, 6 feet away was not "Arm's Length". He has the reach to get him, but his weapon was making it impossible to get to without risking several free blows to the body. Alex, too, had to start backing up, losing ground.

Sun and Neptune were pushing Alex and Alexis back, already passed their own final third of the Combat Area, but they were beginning to tire out from their Assault. Alex notice that the Monkey Faunus had slowed down tremendously and started to see opening that he could take advantage of. He dodged a hit and was able to move forward and begin to lays some punches on Sun. Neptune turned for the briefest of a second, but that was all that Alexis needed as she began the push back. Both of them were at full strength since they hadn't exercised too much energy in defending,

Alex landed a critical hit that managed to stun Sun, allowing him to go around him and push him towards the edge of the Arena, the same way Sun had done. Alexis was having a lot more issues with Neptune, as he was refusing to get close enough to Alexis to that critical hit. The brunette managed to hook an arm around Sun's and pull him towards Neptune, causing the Monkey Faunus to crash into him. That gave Alexis ample time to swing her blade, landing several hits on Neptune and also moving around behind to push them out.

Atticus and Rei watched from their designated seats. Professor Goodwitch had talked to them a little bit as the fought had gone on. Now both her and the other teacher ,who they assume is their caretaker, were both up and alert, pacing about.

As they watched the tables turn, Atticus brought up a point. "What is Richboy's semblance anyway?" He nodded towards the brunette, he took note of how frameskip flashed a bright blue for a brief second. That was the second time its happened.

"His…its complicated."

"Don't tell me its one of those invici-semblances that have no drawbacks at all and the only way to get him is to use Military tech." He drawled.

"No, if anything this could be an issue. It's a three stage semblance."

"Not a good start…"

"Would you hush and listen?" Rei sighed in annoyance, trying to figure out a way to explain it to him in simple terms. "Alright, you know that First Person Shooter you like?"

"Call of Titanfall?"

"Yeah, you know how you can have three of those Killstreak things at a certain points? Like that. But in this case, he needs to land hits. He needs to gain momentum, which charges his semblances.

"Ah, like the King of Street Fighters?"

She snapped her fingers as he understood. "Exactly."

"Dam. What does each stage do?"

"It varies, but he needs more momentum to get to the next stage. And he can't use the first part until he gets his second part."

"Can he use it all at once?"

"Oh Yes. And when he does it is brutal." She turned back in time to see another bright flash from frameskip.

"Right, I don't seem to see any downsides to this…"

"If he gets hit or takes too long on the next hit, he loses his progress and makes restart the part he was on"

"Ah, that is an issue." Atticus conceded. That would mean that Alex would constantly need to hit something, fatigue becomes an issue and so does Aural Waste to heal himself, not to mention Avoiding getting hit and having to be this close to the enemy.

Back at the Arena, Alex felt full. His movement was slower, but he was still holding his own. Alexis meanwhile was having no issues, she swung her Saber and was landing hits with no issue. The only issue was for Neptune and Sun, which saw all their ground lost and now they were on the verge of being pushed out.

Frameskip began to direct Aura to his fist as Alex continued to lay hit upon hit onto Neptune, though according to the Score it seemed to be doing more damage. At the same time, Alexis began to slowly regain Aura that she had lost, though it was barely noticeable

Rei had noticed this, she was sure that Alexis had less Aura than that. It looked like it was slowly trickling upwards. "Atti, what is Alexis' Semblance?"

Atticus laughed. "I see that you noticed it too. It's unlike Alex, Lexis' Aura is Regenerative. Her aura is slowly recharges as she gains momentum. So it shares some similarities to Richboy."

"And what was that about Overpowered Aura's?"

"Relax, her's recharges slowly. If she gets hit hard enough she takes more damage than she gained. But, the similarities don't end there." Atticus realized himself how similar they were, as he talked about it aloud. "Actually, they are quite similar….Holy shit they are really similar."

Rei raised a confused eyebrow. "Uh, mind elaborating?"

"Well, for starters Alexis also has a multistage semblance. First she recharges herself, then she recharges anyone near her.

"Isn't that a bit of an issue in say…this instance?" She nodded towards the arena.

"Alexis has more control over it, she can pick and choose."

"Hm, and that's all?"

"No, she has a trump card."

"And that would be?" Their attention was directed to the Arena as they heard a loud, buzzer-like, sound. For a split-second, Alexis' Saber Angel was engulfed in a blinding blue light before. She back up and ran forward, slicing through Sun. He went past the out of bounds barrier, and his aura hit Zero. But before the adjudicator could stop the match, there was a high pitched ding.

"And that's Alex."

Frameskip, and this his left arm, was engulfed in a red ball as Alex stopped attacking. He jumped back about a foot and then swung at Neptune. And then he swing again. And again. And then the red that was around frameskip covered his body, and then he landed a kick, and then another. He landed consistent hits on Neptune, all of them hitting their mark. His combination of hits and kicks was too fast for Neptune to try and block, which meant he had no choice but to take it. He finished off by performing his Aural Slice. First with his left, followed by his right. This caused Neptune to go airborne as Alex then back flipped and used both his legs to slice down, forcing him to the ground even harder.

 _"Match Complete. Team ARAA Wins."_ The announced stated. The reaction was a crowd of boos. _"Though Please wait until the eliminated combatant leaves the Arena first next time."_

Alexis sheathed Saber Angel onto her arm, and Frameskip turned itself off and the glove-like material dissolved. The watch exhausted smoke from both sides as it lay at rest on the brunettes arm.

Atticus and Rei got up and followed Professor Goodwitch, who was walking to the two others.

Alexis and Alex high fived each other, though Alex did wince as his left hand was the one he used. Alexis was immediately concerned. She noticed that the knuckles on his left hand were bruised. Granted both sets of knuckles had seen better days, but it was clear he favorited his left hand. His right palm was also raw, possibly the glove material might have done that.

"Let me see it." She gestured.

Alex shook his head. "It's fine, just a scratch." He said as he pulled his hand away from her reach, behind his back.

"Alex, stop being a little baby and let me see it!" He continued the game of cat and mouse, right up until he hear Professor Goodwitch.

"Mr Rojo, please let Ms Blau tend to your injuries. She does have more medical experience."

He groaned as he relented. Alexis stuck her tongue out at him as she took his hand. Again, it wasn't that bad, but the glove had indeed made his palm go raw, and his knuckles were pink. They weren't fighting for that long, which meant that he didn't go too hard on them. But the cold probably did not help. She gently pressed her thumb beneath the knuckle on the palm side, which caused him to hiss in pain. Obviously not broken, just a lot of pain.

"Just some ice." She said softly to him. "Don't you bandage up your hands?" She asked him as she noticed some more scars that she hadn't seen before. It was probably the better lighting.

"Not really no." He admitted. "Yang has gloves that protect her knuckles a little. Bandaging just makes it harder honestly."

"I think you should at least get something like that then. You'll eventually end up bleeding a lot when fighting. Scar tissue isn't exactly strong stuff and it cuts easy." She explained.

"Right. Thanks Doctor."

"Alex, Im serious."

"Alright, I'll look into it."

"And while you're at it, look into why that glove thing left your palm raw." She flipped his hand to show the redness of his hand

"Oh…that's when it dissolves. It's kinda like when you pull wax."

Before she could scold him on spending money on better material, the Announcer ordered them off the Arena as the next match is about to begin.

* * *

Author's Note: This is my first Actual attempt at writing combat. Also, I would like to apologize for the shorter chapters. I am trying to make what I have written so far last so that I can get ahead and not encounter issues that I had when I began. Sporadic uploads. Anyway hopefully you guys enjoyed it, and I hope you are being entertained!


	36. Abrupt End

Alright. I genuinely am going to regret this in the distant future, but I think its for the best if I did it.

This story, and the supposed side story to this one, was supposed to be something big. I had huge plans for it. The concept of a "Enhanced Semblance" and stuff like that were going to be implemented. I had so much planned. Including the main Champions League Combat Tournament, the Vytal festival and everything. Unfortunately, because of the way I had started it I messed it up early on. Instead of it being something big, I realized that this is nothing more than just a glorified "Tech Demo" to see if I was capable of writing an actual plot. The OC's, not only weren't really characterized, two of them were late additions. Reflecting on it, I could have done it much better. But at this point its way too late.

Not only that, but I have seriously fallen behind on it. A chapter a month, especially short ones like the ones I have been uploading as of late, aren't getting the plot moving any faster. I had imagined that by this stage, I would have at least gotten past the Champions League and gotten to the next sequence, but I am barely at the Qualifying Tournament for the Champions League. I scrapped so many good ideas just to try to accelerate the plot that I even sacrificed character development.

Which is why it is with a heavy heart, that I am going to end it abruptly right here. Not only that, but within the next 72 hours I will delete this profile. This doesn't mean however that I am done writing. I actually started another profile, originally as a way to write other things within the RWBY universe, but I think its best if I move to that one completely. I won't say the name of the Profile, but just watch out for a Football (soccer) AU in the future. This decision again is heavy but its for the best.

Again, I would like to thank you all for taking the time to actually read the story, even in its pathetic state as of now. I plan to hopefully do better in the story I have planned.

Hopefully I will see you guys soon, even if you don't know what profile I am going to be using.


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